Tales of Turmoil
by ATasteOfShadows
Summary: "It's spread everywhere, but that's not to say we can't, you know, survive. We aren't the only ones left." The Nighthowler incident ultimately is much more complicated than originally thought, which leads to dark times in the world of Zootopia. Contains NickxJudy as well. Reviews are much appreciated! Contains dark scenes and horror elements throughout.
1. The Assignment

**Hello readers! I recently saw the film** _ **Zootopia**_ **and thought quite highly of it. So, I thought to myself, why not attempt a written "sequel"? Call it unorthodox, sure, but I'm looking forward to this. Reviews, favorites and follows are all much appreciated. With that, please enjoy.**

 **41 days later- Judy POV**

 _Lunch break, oh how I appreciate you._

I gaze out the window of my police cruiser, eating my mid-day meal hurriedly, while trying my best to relax at the same time. After a while of being in the force, I start to consider these moments "relaxing". Ever since the "Nighthowler case", things have been fairly uninteresting. A few hit and runs here and there, and a driver with a non-working taillight on some days. But nothing extraordinary.

That's not to say that nothing has changed, though. Nick and I, we're closer than ever. I have no second thoughts upon putting all of my trust in him, and I've actually learned to work with him. No, I can't believe it either. Sometimes I take a few moments to think back to how Nick was when I first met him that day at the ice cream shop. He was kind, polite, and genuine, at least to my former self. Well, Nick was a bit more complicated than that. Sure, he was guilty of felony tax evasion, but thinking about it now, I'm glad I let that one go. You could say he was shifty and mysterious, however, those were just labels placed on him by ignorant souls who don't even bother to see past the surface, and the stereotypes.

I glance down at the fox sleeping beside me and smile to myself a bit. Honestly, I can't imagine being assigned to a different partner. Me and Nick, we've always had each other's backs. I'm generally annoyed by the saying "two peas in a pod", but I guess this situation is an exception.

I swiftly finish my sandwich and toss it in the trashcan in the backseat of our slightly unorganized cruiser. I laugh to myself, reciting the memory in my head where I told Nick that we would keep this car organize if it's the "last thing I do". I scan the car, noting a few unfinished carrots lying around, a dozen or so crumbled up papers and more than a few pens and pencils scattered around the floor.

 _So much for that._

I press the home button on my phone to see the time.

 _1:08 pm._

Lunch break ends in seven minutes.

I poke Nick, attempting to wake him up in the least-startling way possible. Today just isn't my lucky day I guess.

"It wasn't me, I swear!" Nick gasps suddenly, waking with a start.

With wide eyes, he glances around the car until he finally regains his senses, only to see me laughing to myself, holding my paw over my mouth to contain my amusement.

"Yeah, that's real funny cottontail. One of these days you're gonna give me a heart attack", he says with a slight smirk, sitting up in his chair a bit straighter.

"So how was your nap?" I ask, still slightly amused.

"Oh it was simply riveting", he says in a noticeably sarcastic tone, "I suppose it could have been better if I dreamed of popsicles or something".

I take my keys out of my pocket and plug them into the ignition, starting the engine.

"Trust me Fox, you've had your fair share of popsicles."

He looks at me in a slightly more serious manner; well, at least as serious as Nick Wilde can be.

"No calls came in while I was out?" he asks me.

"Nothing that big. Bogo told us to meet us in his office when we get back."

Nick nods a bit and takes a sip from his water bottle as I step on the gas.

"Seven minutes until arrival" my car's GPS says in a monotonic voice, already knowing where we are headed.

I can't say I don't like this new chapter in my life; even though the past forty days have been pretty dull, it's still quite amazing that I've managed to get this far, and I'm proud of myself for it. I've fulfilled my lifelong dream even with the odds against me.

I glance over at Nick for a moment while I drive, breathing in a bit slower, a bit deeper than usual.

 _Well, I have plenty of other dreams too._

 **Nick POV**

I remember the day it all began. I was living in a never ending pattern of dullness and insecurity. But Judy, she changed everything. Sometimes, the labels that society cast upon me cross my mind, but it hardly has an effect anymore. I'm more than my old self, and I don't miss it a bit. Well, except for being able to go back to change the things I said to Judy the day I met her.

 _Stop it Nick, you know that Judy forgot about that. Look where you are now._

It's tough for two people to be closer than Judy and I are now, let's just say that.

But anyways, being a police officer was not exactly a lifelong dream of mine. I figured that a fox would never be trusted in such an influential position in society, so I never even tried. The memories of discrimination and prejudice from my youth still haunt me in some ways. But I can't help but note that most of my former feelings are gone; the feeling that I had to cover up my true self and put on a mask. That I had to be sketchy and fake based on the sole fact that I'm a fox.

But then I remember how Judy helped me through it.

I turn my head just enough to catch her in my gaze, watching her drive with her ear buds in, looking blissfully at the road ahead, and start to feel those cursed feelings again.

Oh, I forgot to mention that. Of all the worst things that could ever happen, it had to be this. Dumb feelings that I know deep down could result in me losing her one day, but also the hope that coexists; the hope that somehow, in some world, this could all work out harmoniously.

 _Keep dreaming._

I unlock my phone, noticing the text from Bogo that Judy mentioned.

 _Meeting in my office after lunch break. Nothing major, just a small talk._

I can't help but feel a bit of uneasiness. Small talk? What can he mean by that?

After a few more moments in thought, I notice that the car has stopped, and Judy takes out her ear buds.

"I'm not really likin' the text from Bogo" I say to her as she opens her car door.

"Well, I don't know if I've ever gotten a text from Bogo that I really _like_ ", she replies.

I roll my eyes at her smart-elect response and exit the car, closing my door behind me.

"You know what I mean Carrots. It just doesn't sound normal. And you know what they say, Foxes are very intuitive."

Judy looks at me as she gathers a stack of papers to bring with her into the police station, a smirk, barely noticeable across her lips.

"Just like bunnies are suppose to be very emotional, right? I thought we were done with all the stereotyping and stuff."

I chuckle to myself as a walk aside her into the back entrance of the police station.

"You'd think by now you'd know when I'm joking. Or am I just too sly for you?" I ask, narrowing my eyes at her in a playful manner.

"Oh yeah, you're just too smart for me, Wilde."

I don't even have time to reply before I slam into something as hard as a diamond, at least it feels that way. I stumble backward grabbing my throbbing snout, and notice Judy, once again, laughing harder than ever.

 _I guess a bit of pain isn't too much of a price to see her laugh._

 **Judy POV**

I finally recover from laughing at Nick's mishap, and I lay my papers on Clawhauser's desk.

"How's it going 'Hauser?" I ask in an upbeat tone as usual.

He looks up from his phone and smiles his usual beaming grin.

"Oh, hi J! How was lunch?" he asks in a bright, loud voice.

"It was nice. Did you not go out to get anything?" I ask.

He looks upwards, recalling his experience from earlier today.

"Well, no. My toaster caught on fire and I had to use my lunch break time to run home to you know, see what happened."

"Wow…well, was your house okay?" I ask curiously.

"Yeah, my house was fine, but my toaster was pretty darn toasted."

I giggle a bit, and try to act serious about the matter as I can.

"Well, I wish you luck on finding a new toaster!" I say as I turn to head up to Bogo's office with Nick.

"Thanks Hopps! Good luck with your relationship!" he replies gleefully.

I squint my eyes in confusion and slowly turn back around to face him.

"Wait, what?" I ask.

He puts his hands over his heart and smiles at me knowingly.

"You know what I'm talking about, LOL."

His recent obsession of internet acronyms in real conversations never fails to surface in every talk I have with him.

He points at Nick, who is standing at the drink machine, watching one of the beverages bubbling for some reason, and then creates a heart with his fingers.

I roll my eyes.

"Me and Nick?! No, we're jus-"

"It's alright Juds, I'm just messin with ya."

I settle down a bit and attempt to recapture a bit of composure.

"Well anyways, I have a meeting with Bogo, so I'll see you around" I say with a deep breath.

"See ya around Hopps!"

I fast-walk over to Nick at the drink machine, with a look of confusion as he continues laughing to himself while he pours something in a cup of soda.

"Nick?"

He turns around, still chuckling to himself.

"Look at this!"

He holds out the cup, and I see the soda bubbling, accompanied by a strange cracking sound. I glance back up at him, with a bewildered expression.

"What did you do to it?" I ask, sounding a bit unsure.

"I put that candy…you know, the candy that crackles and pops in it! Now whenever someone gets soda, it won't just sizzle, but now it will really _pop!_ " he exclaims, still laughing like an idiot, and I can't help but laugh a little myself, and I smile warmly at him again.

"I wish we could drink crackly soda all day while we make cheesy jokes, but we have a meeting, remember?" I say.

"Oh, that's right, must've slipped my mind. Maybe I had one too many sodas."

I laugh again as we walk up the stairs to Bogo's office, talking blissfully. However, upon entering Bogo's office, a new, darker ambiance becomes painfully apparent.

 **Nick POV**

"Officer Hopps, Officer Wilde" Bogo acknowledges us as we sit in two chairs across from him, as he sits on the other side of his desk, his face contorted in a fearful expression.

"I'm afraid this won't just a small meeting" he speaks grimly.

"I knew it!" I say loudly.

Bogo stares at me in an irritated manner, and I sit back down with a nervous grin, as Judy tries not to giggle at the spontaneous moment.

"Anyways. I don't know if you two are prepared to hear this".

I feel my stomach sink down further into my chest, and my heart starts beating a bit faster. I continue looking at Bogo in utter confusion, asking a question that doesn't even need to be spoken.

"But I have to tell you anyway. You are my two most prestigious officers, and you are the face of the ZPD, so you both need to be informed….so here it goes. The Nighthowler case…"

"Yes?" Judy asks impatiently, as I continue scanning the possibilities of what Bogo might be about to tell us. Bogo interrupts my thoughts with something I never thought I would hear.

"Eleven are dead at the Zootopia Central Hospital, all from savage animal attacks."

I come to the realization of what Bogo is about to say.

"This savageness…it was never cured. Just delayed. That's why the patients had so much trouble recovering; because they couldn't. This Nighthowler case…it has nothing to do with the flower like we thought originally. It is something in the brain. Something is altering the brains of animals. And it hasn't stopped since the day Bellwether was arrested. That's just what I was required to tell everyone. This situation was never contained, only temporarily halted. I'm sorry to tell you this, but we have to eliminate them all…"

I can't believe what I'm hearing.

"We have recovered the carcass of one of the infected mammals, an otter, and studied the brain. We don't know what is causing this, but we have to make an effort to stop-"

"I'm not doing that!" Judy bursts out, "I can't just…kill them!"

Bogo shakes his head sadly, but retains his seriousness.

"We don't have any other choice, Hopps. We can't risk anymore harm to the city. This is your duty."

I speak for Judy.

"Yes, but only in self defense! That's the only time I would ever kill someone! This…this is crazy!"

"Wilde, you have to understand the situation. We don't know how many people are infected. This could end up being much more than we think. But we have to try to contain it until we figure it out" he speaks coolly.

"W-well", Judy stutters, "Can't you just inject them with the temporary cure again until you figure this all out?"

I watch Chief Bogo shake his head once more, solemnly.

"I'm afraid not. This disease has worked on their brains for far too long for any antidote to have an effect. They are more than savage now. I wish you could understand. But until then, you will do as I say. We will be launching a search in the morning, and I expect to see both of you here."

I glance over at Judy's distraught face, my eyes wide in apprehensiveness.

"Now, both of you are dismissed. Please return to your duties."

 **Judy POV**

When I wished for my job to be eventful again, this is not what I meant. I knew that being an officer can be difficult, but this was not something I imagined doing. Sure, I knew I would eventually injure or kill another animal in self defense while on the job, but hunting down animals to kill is different. Yes, they are savage, or "something more", as Bogo said, but how am I supposed to do this? How am I, a cute little bunny, supposed to look down the sights of my gun into the eyes of a living creature, and pull the trigger to end it forever?

I glance over at Nick as we saunter down the stairs from Bogo's office, a bit more quiet than usual.

"Nick…I don't know what to do."

He grabs my arm, stopping me, and looks into my eyes with a solemn expression.

"I know this is hard, Carrots. I never imagined any of this would happen either. But you can trust me on this: I'll be there with you the whole time."

"Easy for you to say. You don't let anything get to you anymore, remember?" I reply.

He glances down at the floor with an unsettled look.

"Well, someone walking up and refusing to sell me ice cream because I'm a fox, sure. That doesn't really get to me. But this is a bit more complicated, don't ya think?"

I nod and he opens his arms, offering me a hug as he usually does when I'm upset. I gladly accept the offer, and try my best to think positively while I hide in his warm embrace.

 _At least I have you._

He releases me, and I stare back up at him.

"So, we didn't crack the case after all?" I say in realization, "I'm no hero. We only helped to create a temporary antidote."

Nick puts his paw on my arm in a comforting way.

"Don't look at it that way" he says calmly.

"What other way is there to look at it?" I ask genuinely, gazing off the stairs an out the window.

"Well for one, you met a street hustler named Nick. Nick was quite the fella, wasn't he?"

He smiles at me warmly again, and continues.

"Well, he was lost in life, let's just say. Nick didn't feel like he was anything more than a shifty, untrustworthy. But then suddenly, there came some dumb bunny. She fulfilled her dreams as a police officer, and made Nick feel even worse about his life."

"Is this supposed to be helping me?" I interrupt.

"Shh! I'm not done. Anyways, Carrots helped Nick understand that he was more than just another fox. He was more than what people labeled him. She helped him understand that he was more."

I can't help but feel some amount of joy in my heart.

"So don't even think about saying you're not a hero, because you're definitely mine."

I stare into his eyes again, and smile the biggest smile imaginable.

"I hope that wasn't too cheesy" he says jokingly, and I giggle.

"It's fine Nick. I don't mind cheesy as long as it cheers me up and you seem to be pretty good at that."

We stare into each other's eyes for a few more seconds, until Nick interrupts the moment.

"But anyways, better get back to our job. You know, while we can still enjoy it" he says with a slight smirk, as he continues walking down the stairs.

"Yeah" I say, a bit stunned by the way he talked. He's beginning to open up to me. Nick Wilde, the mysterious, sly fox who would rather jump off the tallest skyscraper in Zootopia than let most people know about what he feels deep down is really beginning to show his true self to me.

However, the feeling of fear is still on my mind. I don't know what is going to happen tomorrow. I glance down at my watch.

 _1:23 pm_

Thirteen hours until I have to report for duty tomorrow.

I close my eyes, take a deep breath, and then continue walking down the stairs, thinking about what Nick said.

 _You know, while we can still enjoy it._

I think about earlier in the day, being bored with sheer uneventfulness, and one saying immediately comes to my mind.

As I follow Nick to the police cruiser, I whisper the words aloud to myself.

 _Be careful what you wish for._


	2. First Blood

**Didn't think I'd be able to update this soon, but found some time. Things get pretty dark this chapter, so be prepared. Hope you guys enjoy!**

 **7:27 PM- Judy POV**

I slump down into my seat with a groan. It's been over five hours since lunch break ended, and still no action at all. And by nothing, I mean absolutely nothing.

 _I'd almost rather be on parking duty._

"Embrace it, Carrots. Making money by doing nothing was a dream of mine about a month ago" Nick says, playing on his phone with a dull expression.

"It's not just that. I'm just freaked out over tomorrow" I mumble, sounding bored and fearful simultaneously.

Nick nods, putting his phone in his pocket, and takes a deep breath.

"Well we've made it this far. Not too bad for some bunny no one believed could ever be a police officer and a fox that no one could ever trust. Well, until now" he says with a slight smile as he looks over at me with a cool expression.

"Well, that much is true."

He nods, and looks straight out the windshield, his trademark smirk across his face, the one that I've come to love the past five or six weeks.

"Nick, I know it's hard for you to talk about, but I'm glad you are starting to open up to me."

His eyes widen a bit, not in shock, but sheer surprise that I brought up the subject. He shifts a bit in his seat, and speaks.

"I guess you could say that's what I've been doing. It's a huge leap for me; I hope you know that, Cottontail. But after so many years of hiding behind so many walls, it isn't easy for me."

I nod in empathy, and rub my paw up and down his arm in a comforting way, which elicits a grin from Nick.

"But I really do mean this; I trust you more than everything in the world. I can actually be myself when I'm around you, and that….it's….nice" he finishes, his eyes closed in thought.

"I know what you mean. I feel exactly the same way" I say, now on cloud nine as I stare into his eyes.

He laughs to himself, and looks out the window again.

"Who would've ever thought, right? A rabbit and a fox, the best of friends. That's kinda crazy, don't ya think, Carrots? But I love it."

I laugh a bit too, and slide a bit closer to him on the seat.

"I know what you mean. Remember my parents' reaction when I told them that night?"

He chuckles again and leans back into his chair in a relaxed manner, thinking back to that evening. The evening where I told my parents that essentially, Nick and I would be inseparable. My dad basically spat the carrot he was eating across the room.

"Sure do" he replies.

That's when the sight catches my eye. An elderly armadillo stumbling down the road with a walker in hand, looking quite panicked. And by panicked, I don't just mean scared. I see the look of pure horror etched across his face.

"So Judy, have you ever fe-"

"Shh!" I interrupt Nick, still unaware of the current situation. I notice the creature screaming something, with all energy it can muster. I hurriedly roll down the window, Nick looking understandably bewildered. The armadillo finally notices our parked car, and drops his walker in a scurry to get to me.

"Please! Please help me officer!"

I open my door with haste, and step out of the car to engage the distraught animal, prepared for anything.

"What's wrong, sir?" I ask cautiously.

He stops hobbling and falls on the hood of my car, out of breath, obviously desperate for any form of assistance.

"My bakery was attacked! It was a chimpanzee! He ran in and…and it's awful! I c-can't even begin to explain what I saw…just please, please hurry!"

That's when I notice the blood running down the armadillo's back, soaking his shirt in blood. Not just a bit of blood, but a shocking amount. Such a shocking amount that it is hard to believe an animal can lose so much blood yet still be standing.

"Sir! Where is your bakery located?" I ask frantically.

He gasps for air, and collapses on the pavement, now far from stable condition. Nick rushes to his aid, but the animal doesn't seem to want any aid.

"No! Don't w-worry about…me. Hurry! Please!"

I quickly call for an ambulance, which takes only moments to arrive. They lift the armadillo onto a stretcher with swiftness, and I walk beside him as he is rolled into the back of the ambulance, quite desperate to receive a reply to my question, to which I finally do.

"Benson's Bakery, two blocks away! Please.."

That's all he could say before his breathing became abnormal again, nullifying his ability to speak clearly again.

"Nick! Come on!" I say as I practically leap into the police cruiser, activating the siren with no hesitation. The second that Nick's door closes, I slam on the gas, sending Nick and I reeling back into our seats.

It doesn't take more than thirty seconds for us to arrive on the scene; a scene perhaps I should not even speak of. Upon the sight of the bakery, my stomach drops and I immediately receive sensations of severe dizziness, and I drop to my knees, nauseous.

"Oh my God…" Nick struggles to say, as additional police units pull up alongside us.

It is the job of a police officer to remain composed and professional throughout every moment of our shifts, but with our current predicament, I admittedly cannot manage to do so. I stare at the pavement as the other units arrive alongside us. Nick is also barely standing, unable to speak at the sight.

Bodies lay all around, blood spilled all over the outdoor patio area. Brain matter and other organs cover the surrounding area, even hanging from places such as the roof. It appears that some sort of bodily fluids are splattered all over the windows of the bakery, eliciting groans of pure disgust from everyone around me.

I manage to stand again, and whirl around to lean on the hood of the car, staring up at the sky, struggling not to break inside. I'm struggling to understand what I just saw; the scene of pure carnage, pure madness.

 _Stop it Judy! You have to act professional! You signed up for this!_

I take the deepest breath manageable, and stare back into the turmoil in front of me, officer frantically searching for survivors, but apparently the armadillo was the only one to make it out. I hear gunshots and terrified, shrill screams, threatening to bust the very shell of my soul. The scene has truly shaken me to say the least.

Nick walks up to me and collects me into his arms, holding me tight, and I can feel his heart beating with incredible pace.

"N-Nick…what happened?" I say, barely audible over the shouts of the officers.

"I think-I think they got him" he says in a trembling voice that still manages to warm my heart through all of the darkness of the current scene.

 **Nick POV**

The second I release Judy from my arms, I rush over to Chief Bogo for an explanation, still struggling to think straight.

"Chief! What…what happened?"

"Wilde! Who sent you here! I didn't contact you for assistance!" he says in a commanding tone as usual, also observing the chaotic scene.

"Judy and I, we were sent her by this armadillo. He survived this mess…" I say, knees wobbly, but still managing to hide my fear.

"We've neutralized the attacker; just a normal chimpanzee it appears. I told you Wilde; this will continue to happen. These savage animal attacks, they're beginning to resurface on the media. This is only going to get worse."

 _How could a chimpanzee do this?_

The corpses of the victims are scattered all around, most ripped apart to the point of not being recognizable. With every moment I scan the area, the more body parts catch my attention.

"Now, you and Hopps get inside and help in any way you can."

I beeline straight for Judy, who appears to still be quite disturbed by the sight.

"We have to go inside and help out Cottontail" I speak with some amount of fear evident in my words.

She takes a deep breath and collects herself before speaking.

"Okay Nick. Let's do this."

We walk cautiously towards the doors of the bakery, passing carcasses along the way. I watch Judy, surveying the still surreal crime scene. We brace ourselves mentally as I push the door open, to an equally sickening situation. More bodies are scattered throughout the bakery; on top of tables, leaning over the countertop; literally anywhere that a body can be, there was one. Once again, many of them are missing limbs, or have torn open chests, or mutilated faces. Only one body is still recognizable: the body of a large chimpanzee, gunshot wounds all over.

"How did he do all…all of this?" Judy asks in utter astonishment.

In all honestly, It's extremely difficult to imagine a chimpanzee murdering over 30 people in such brutal fashion; almost out of reason.

"I don't know, Judy" I speak softly and sincerely.

 **10:02 PM**

I walk home from the police station with Judy as usual. The atmosphere around us, usually happy on our evening walks back to our apartments, has now completely transformed to something much darker.

"I just don't know how think about all this" I mumble not in sadness, but genuine emotional confusion.

"Me either. I really hate admitting this, but I never imagined being a police officer to be this brutal".

I let out a loud, long sigh, and glance over at her.

"Me neither, Carrots"

After a few moments of silence, I suddenly receive an idea.

"Hey, today's been kind of…harsh. And I know you're feeling down because of all this, and I don't really get any visitors at my place. What do you say Juds?"

She looks at me with a smile, still retaining her optimistic attitude throughout it all.

"Sounds like a plan. I'll get some of my stuff and meet you at your place around…."

She glances at her watch.

"Is eleven alright with you?" she asks.

"Of course! I'll try to clean up a bit."

She grins, and continues walking down the road one more block to her apartment as I stop, now having reached my home.

"See you in a bit!" she waves jokingly, as if we'll never see each other again.

I wave to her, and begin walking up the stairwell, the feeling of pure darkness now behind me.

 _Judy really is really special._

Those words echo in my mind, and I know just how true they really are. Before this, I'd imagine that it would be hard for anyone to make me the least bit happy in my current predicament, but somehow Judy exceeds everything I could ever wish for. She manages to leave me with a dopey smile and the feeling that I may visibly be radiating with pure joy seemingly every day. Considering who I am, that should be quite impossible to do. With Judy though, it seems like nothing is impossible. As I continue to walk up the stairs, I think back to what Judy said about me opening up. Formerly, I would cringe at the utter thought of opening up to anyone at all. But contemplating the subject now, it only feels natural to open up to Judy.

I dig around in my pocket for my keys, unlock my front door, and walk inside. I flip the lights on and toss my phone on the sofa with happiness that in no way I should currently obtain. Scanning the room, I notice the mess that has gathered from days past, and I groan.

 _Better get cleaning._

 **11:08- Judy POV**

 _Does he walk up this many stairs every day?_

Nick lives on the top floor of his apartment building, which apparently is a lot more difficult to reach than I imagined. I continue to

 _I'm already late,_ I think to myself with a sigh as I reach floor 12 at last, and I knock on the door with an exasperated smile.

The door almost immediately opens, and Nick is there to welcome me.

"You're late" he says with a teasing expression.

"Blame…the…stairs!" I exclaim, still quite out of breath.

"So, this is my apartment" he speaks as I enter, gazing around his home.

"Sure looks cleaner than I imagined!" I say jokingly, to which Nick rolls his emerald green eyes.

"Bet yours isn't much better. Probably Easter eggs and stuff lying around all over the place" he says with a smirk.

I laugh and punch him playfully on the shoulder, and then continue to roam his home as he tags along.

He proceeds to explain all of his most prized possessions, each seeming to contain some amount of sentimental value to him. The concept of sentimentality is something I formally never thought Nick would care about, but shockingly enough, he seems completely comfortable with explaining each item to me with a carefree tone.

"So yeah, it's not much" he says after a practical tour. He looks around his apartment once more, and finishes his statement; "but its home".

"So, no noisy neighbors?" I ask.

"Nah. It's usually quiet around here. Too quiet, I guess you could say."

I notice a copy of the new video game "Zombitopia" on his coffee table and a practically squeal in excitement. I've wanted to play it since I arrived in Zootopia, but I haven't gotten the chance.

"Hah, I thought you'd like that" he says as he observes my current bouncy mood.

I rush over to the TV and press the power button in anticipation, and turn on Nick's video game system.

"You're seriously the best ever!" I yell as I push the game into the system, and he hands me a controller.

"So what do you say? Ready to send some zombies back to the grave?" he asks.

"Basically born ready!" I exclaim, sounding quite naïve to him.

He clicks on the words reading _new game_ , and I prepare to immerse myself into the world of Zombitopia. I sit on the sofa next to him, perhaps abnormally close. So close in fact that an onlooker would probably consider us cuddling.

I laugh to myself happily as the intro to the game commences, forgetting all about work tomorrow. All I know is that tonight is going to be an awesome night.

 **3:46 am**

I jolt awake suddenly, and immediately notice one thing besides the fact that we fell asleep; I feel asleep basically on top of my best friend. My heart immediately starts beating faster and I feel myself blushing, but I don't dare move a muscle. Imagine how…awkward it would be if Nick-

Suddenly, Nick begins shuffling, and slowly opens his eyes. I leap off of him in embarrassment, unable to stop myself from smiling uncontrollably.

"Sorry about that!" I practically yell.

He laughs, knowing it was an accident, but still decides to have a bit of fun with it.

"Carrots, if you want to have snuggle time, just let me know. No need to…sneak attack" he says with a joking expression, stretching his arms with a yawn.

After realizing he wasn't upset with the situation, I sit back down beside him, still blushing idiotically.

"Well, we should probably get some rest. You know, for…work tomorrow" I say, as composed as possible.

"True" he simply states, rising from the couch. He grabs at a fold in the sofa and pulls it out, creating a bed.

"Ah, one of those sofa-beds" I say tiredly.

"Yep. Never thought it would come in handy until now. Well anyways, here's a pillow. Oh, and this blanket. It's like the best material I've ever felt so I hope you like it".

"Thanks, Nick. I hope you know that tonight…it was a…much needed break from reality. So, thanks for that."

He doesn't hesitate to pull me into a deep, long hug, as he speaks.

"It was awesome, wasn't it Carrots?"

He pauses for a moment, and then continues.

"Hey, remember when we beat that zombie behemoth?" he asks me.

I nod, recounting the experience in my head. It must've happened just a few minutes before we crashed.

"That's gonna be us tomorrow. We are going to go out there and take down whatever task we are given, no matter how big or-or intimidating. Don't let all this mess ruin your dreams, Judy. You're such a strong, fun, amazing person, and you're…you're all I wish I could be."

I begin to feel tears forming in my eyes, as I hug him even tighter.

"Thanks Nick. You-you always know what to say."

He releases me, and looks into my eyes.

"Now, get some sleep. We'll need it for sure" he states.

"Goodnight Nick" I say, lying down in my bed, embracing the moment, "and thanks for everything. You really are the best person I could ever ask for…especially in times like this".

He grins at me brightly and speaks again.

"Right back at ya carrots. Let me know if you need anything. Goodnight" he says sincerely with a playful wave as he closes his bedroom door behind him, leaving me in a daze.

Well, if I had any doubt, it's undeniable now. I'm in love with Nick Wilde.

And although so much darkness is surrounding, my love for Nick really seems to numb all of that. Honestly, he's a miracle, created just for me it seems. It's crazy. And by crazy, it completely amazes me. I know that tomorrow will be hard, but Nick will be there with me. He'll be there with me through it all.

 **Hard to find a story with so much fluff mixed with so much gruesomeness, huh? Anyways, I'll try to make future updates a bit longer. But nonetheless, I'm having fun with this story, and I hope you all are enjoying it as well. But trust me, the story is about to escalate quite a bit. So as John Arnold says: "Hold on to your butts!" Please leave your thoughts in the reviews, and thanks for reading. Until next time!**


	3. Red Eyes

**Another late-night update; what a shocker, huh? Anyways, I know there have been requests for longer chapters, and I'll try to implement that soon enough. As for now, please enjoy chapter three!**

 **5:38 AM- Nick POV**

It felt quite necessary to have a relaxing night before the storm strikes Judy and I. The happiness of just being with Judy floods my body as I sleep, drugging my senses in deep euphoria. However, this blissfulness is quite short lived.

I jolt awake to the sound of shouts from outside my bedroom window, glance at my clock, and sigh in frustration.

 _How inconsiderate can people be? Don't they know I have only an hour left to sleep?!_

I press down my home button on my phone to check my notifications just for the heck of it, with another audible grunt of irritation. I honestly don't want to leave my house today. I just want to stay home and play Zombitopia with Judy, and surrender myself in the feeling that is my love for her all day long. However, today, that's not an option. I signed an oath that I will serve and protect all the days of my life, no matter the circumstances. I'm not going to revert to my old, lazy self. I'm going to continue to make something of myself if it's the last thing I do. I know that's what Judy would want me to do.

The reckless screaming continues to echo throughout my room, and I practically roll out of my bed, and peel the blinds open just enough to see the alleyway beside my house. After a moment of observation, I notice nothing out of the ordinary. The usual two dumpsters, some trash bags scattered along the ground, and an empty bag of chips blowing along the pavement to the pace of the wind.

I roll my eyes and lie back down in my bed, but it seems the second I close my eyes the screams begin once again.

 _Are you serious?_ I ask myself.

This time however, screams are not the only sound that my ears detect. Approaching sirens begin to gain audibility, getting closer with each passing second. My heart begins to pound as the horrific screams become even more frantic, more desperate. They sound almost unable to breathe, yet they continue to force the loudest noise from their lungs as they can muster.

I jump out of my bed once more as the screams change to choking sounds, unable to hide my concerns and longer. I slam open my bedroom door and sprint over to Judy, poking her a bit on her shoulder to wake her up.

"Judy! Judy! Wake up, there's something wrong!"

She gasps and rolls over.

"I heard it too. I can't sleep through anything with these ears" she states.

"Let's go! Something may be really wrong!" I say, helping her to her feet.

We both sprint down the stairs as fast as our legs can carry us, both thinking the same thing, I'm quite sure.

 _We have to make it in time._

We hit the bottom of the stairs, completely out of breath. We stumble around the edge of my building and into the alleyway, guns drawn.

I scan the area, seeing nothing, until I notice a puddle. Not just a normal puddle, but a blood puddle leading into the dumpster, as if perhaps a corpse was dragged across the cold pavement and thrown into the dumpster itself. I'm practically drowning in fear, realizing the imminent danger that has now gripped me.

We both stare ahead in realization.

 _We're too late._

However, I don't have time to linger on the pain. I immediately sense a presence above me, and my eyes zip to meet the eyes of another animal, hanging from a window sill three floors up, eyes glowing in sheer uncontrollable rage, blood dripping from its soaked paws.

"J-Judy…" I say in a shaky tone.

"Don't tell me; there's a savage animal staring at us right now, about to strike at any moment."

I only have time to whisper one word.

"Up."

With that, the creature leaps down with authority, landing a few feet in front of us, and my eyes widen as I aim my weapon directly at it.

I can't exactly tell what animal this creature is. It resembles a lion in some ways, but plant like growths seem to have engulfed the lost soul. The eyes continue to gleam a red light, and the claws are beyond abnormally long. I can't even describe the noises it makes as it begins to charge towards us.

My instinct takes over, and I do not hesitate to pull the trigger of my weapon.

I panic as the bullets I fire seem to have little effect, and I'm hit with what feels like the force of an eighteen-wheeler to my chest, sending my flying back into the brick wall.

I can hardly breathe as I attempt to aim my weapon once more, only to be slashed by the massive animal's claws, sending me sliding onto the pavement, beginning to feel dizzy as Judy's horrified screams echo throughout the alleyway. She fires her entire round into the creature's neck area, to little effect. But she does succeed with one thing.

The monster turns its attention to my best friend, as I attempt to stand up, to no avail.

"No!" I scream through the pain in my ribs, crawling towards the abomination now approaching Judy, "Don't! Please…" I struggle to speak.

That's when I hear the sound; like a pen hitting the floor in a quiet meeting. My eye catches sight of the small, rusty object, and I hear the shouts of other officers down the alleyway.

"Run!" a voice yells. Judy dodges the creature's potentially fatal blows and drags me away from the object with all her strength as I wince in pain. I stare into the animal's eyes once more, studying the hate that is spouting from its very being. Somewhere in the eyes of this monster, I know a person exists. However, this is not evident in anyway. I prepare to tell Judy goodbye as the creature corners us, but my thoughts are interrupted with a shockwave of great magnitude. I reel back as the heat of a thousand suns plasters Judy and I against the wall once more, causing intense burning for a moment. When I regain my senses, I notice I'm lying beside Judy, seeing only the approaching medical staff as blurs, and grabbing for the hand of my partner, my mind racing in every way imaginable.

"N-Nick?" she asks through several coughs.

"What…was that?" I ask, as I am tended to by medical personnel, still looking quite like a corpse along the ground.

I notice that Judy is in a sitting position, completely unharmed. She grabs my paw in her hand, and holds it tight.

"I think it was a grenade" she states, still partially in shock. I then notice splatters of blood on her shirt, but subconsciously note that the blood I am seeing is the blood of the creature that is no longer in one piece, not Judy's.

The EMT's help me onto a stretcher; although I think I can walk just fine.

"It's just precautionary, Nick" Judy tells me, still sounding concerned to the moon and back.

"I know, but don't worry about me. Go talk to Bogo and find out what's going on."

Judy nods and gives me one last hug before she turns and sprints out of the alleyway towards the other police cruisers, and I'm lifted into the ambulance.

 **Judy POV**

"Bogo!" I say upon watching him exit his car, "what's going on?"

He glances at me with a condescending demeanor, squinting his eyes in confusion.

"Hopps? Why are you not in uniform?"

"We had no time, sir! We heard screams outside and we rush-"

He halts my words with a looks of confusion once again.

"Wait, what were you doing at Officer Wilde's house at 5:30 am?"

I stutter a bit, but ultimately decide a change of subject is probably my best option.

"That's not of concern sir, I assure you. But I need to know: is this another savage animal case?" I ask.

"Sure is, Hopps. You got the front row seat, I assume?"

I struggle with my words, but eventually force myself to reply.

"Yes. We didn't make it in time…me and Nick…it was way too late."

"Obviously, but take this as a prime example, officer Hopps. These things…they aren't animals anymore. They aren't even savage. They are ruthless, evil, demented and merciless. Do you understand why this has to be done now?"

I nod slowly and reluctantly, but still have my questions; mainly, why is this happening? What is happening to the minds of these animals?

"Have you identified the victim that was tossed in the dumpster?" I ask with uneasiness.

"Not quite yet. Until we can do a DNA test, we have no way of identifying the body."

These aren't just murders. These poor animals are being subjected to something much more sinister, I'm afraid.

"This is awful, Bogo. We have to st-"

"I know this is frustrating, but we are doing all we can. The best thing you can do now is continue to do your job."

I sigh, and I know he is right.

"Alright" I say dully as I turn to head to my apartment to get dressed for work.

 _Might as well get up for work anyway._

As I head back up to Nick's apartment, I can only think about two things. The two things that have been dominating my thoughts lately: Nick, and curing all of this madness.

 **Nick POV**

I wake up to the sounds of beeping and the feeling of drunkenness. I sit up quickly, only to be ushered back down by a doctor, and the whole situation makes no sense to my disoriented self. Then, I remember it all; the explosion, the beast, the blood, all of it.

I continue to lie in my bed, pondering my current predicament with uncertainty. How can we fix this? How will the citizens react to the government admitting that we have no cure for this turmoil? And most of all: how am I going to tell Judy about the way I feel about her?

"Pssh!" I hear a voice from my left, and I roll my head to the side in order to discover the source of the voice.

It's the armadillo from the bakery.

"It's you!" I say, quite shocked by the odds that I would up beside him in the hospital.

He clears his throat weakly before responding.

"Sure is, Fox."

"Are you alright?" I ask.

"Physically? I guess so, but I'll never be the same mentally again."

I nod, knowing exactly what he means. Seeing the carnage with my own eyes was sickening, but it's pretty tough to imagine witnessing it firsthand.

"How did he do it?" I ask in curiosity.

The armadillo shakes his head in a mix of emotions, and takes in a deep breath before he speaks.

"It was incredible. Don't get me wrong, it was an awful act of unrestrained blood thirst, but it was something I formally never thought was possible. He tossed them around with ease. He ripped people apart, not limb by limb, but in every combination known to mind. He didn't just want to kill them, but he _hated_ them. He looked as though his only purpose, his only…reason to exist was to cause pain. I saw it in his eyes."

"Wow…" is all I could say as he finished telling the grisly details.

If normal crimes dealing with murder were frightening or discouraging, this entire case puts the rest of them to shame. Animals, apparently out of nowhere, are becoming monsters and demons it seems. Then, a horrific thought crosses my mind.

 _What if I go crazy? What if I become a true abomination? What if I hurt Judy?_

The thoughts torture my consciousness for a few moments before the armadillo speaks once more.

"But please, officer, don't let any of this stop you. You guys are our only hope to find a cure; and if we never solve this..."

He doesn't even need to speak the words to make it obvious that failure is not an option. Honestly, a few months ago, I'd think of all this as nothing except something from a movie. All of this seems so surreal, yet so important to me. The feelings of fear and uncertainty are still present, but a new feeling is now enveloping me; sheer hope. The day I decided to be more than a street hustler, I knew I would be forced to jump hurdles that seem miles high. It's my job to protect and serve, through thick and thin.

I smile at the armadillo with my usual confidence.

"Don't worry. We'll figure this out."

Now, I've never really been an optimist. In fact, looking at things in a positive perspective had been very difficult for me in my past; but for whatever reason, my soul still contains a spark of hope. For once in my life, I feel passion for what I am doing. It might have taken the help of my best friend, but I am truly where I want to be in life right now. But the question remains; how long until life decides to shift again?

 **Judy POV- 7:14 AM**

I close Nick's door behind me, still feeling a great amount of concern for Nick's well-being. But also flooding my mind as I walk is how proud I am of him. Without him, I'd be dead, lost, or maybe even given up on my dream of being the best police officer there is.

I walk a few blocks down to the hospital, hearing sirens all over town, echoing off the buildings surrounding me, filling my ears with an eerie insecurity. I see two news helicopters in the sky, indicating that more slaughter had indeed ensued since an hour ago.

 _What a time to be an officer._

I'm completely on edge, my gun drawn, in case anything happens, which eventually, nothing does.

I walk into the hospital only to be confronted with a scene of mass panic, medics scattering everywhere. Bodies are rolled in on stretchers, or at least what is left of them. I squint my eyes and walk past, not letting the grotesqueness get to me.

I walk a bit quicker than normal past some sliding doors, into a room filled with people with only minor injuries. I immediately spot Nick, in conversation with the armadillo from earlier.

Nick wastes no time introducing me to his new friend.

"Judy! This is Benson!" he exclaims with an unusually upbeat attitude considering he is in the hospital.

"You're the armadillo from earlier?" I ask.

"Sure am!"

I don't dare ask what my mind wants to know.

"So, you're alright?" I ask, being careful with my words.

"I reckon so. Well, I guess yes and no. I-"

"I don't think we need to talk about it again" Nick says, as if he is hiding something.

There's a moment of silence before I move beside Nick, and interrupt.

"You doing okay?" I ask out of genuine concern.

"I'm fine, Carrots. A few knicks here and there, but I'm focused now. You think they'll let me out?" he asks.

"You're standing up, and you seem alright to me. I need you today, and you know that, so hopefully yes" I state.

" Doctor said I have a few bruised ribs and a concussion, but nothing major."

He begins walking towards the door.

"Nick? You can't just leave the hospital" I say laughing to myself a bit.

"Oh, yeah. That's right."

After checking him out, we began our walk to the police station, very much on edge just as before. In times like these, seemingly anything can happen at any time. I can tell he's acting a bit strange, and I'm not quite sure why.

"Um, Nick?" I ask him, after I catch him staring at me for what feels like the tenth time as we walk along the sidewalk, "Is something wrong?"

I can see him blushing a bit, as he scratches the back of his neck.

"Well, there's plenty wrong in the world, that's why we're cops, right?"

I stare at him knowingly, making it obvious I knew that playing dumb isn't going to work.

"You know what I mean, Nicholas."

"What _do_ you mean, Carrots?"

"You've just…you've been acting different lately" I proclaim.

"Well, I don't know. Maybe it's been because I've seen things the past two days I never thought I would have to see. Maybe it's because I witnessed some giant-beast-thing attempt to rip me to shreds. And maybe…maybe it's because…"

He drifts off, looking down at the concrete.

"Because?" I ask in a gentle voice.

He looks at me, his expression hard to read.

"Because…because…I…maybe I'm just tired or something" he mumbles, and continues walking along. I know better, though. I don't want to bug him any further at this point in time, but hopefully soon I can find out what's really bugging him.

I hear approaching sirens behind me, and hope to myself it's just a fire or something; but I know something is up when the pack of ambulances and police cruisers catch my eye, heading towards Tundra Town. There has to be at least ten ambulances, all in a uniform line. My stomach sinks, fearing the worst.

"Maybe…maybe it's a really bad sewage leak?" I awkwardly suggest, trying my best to remain the optimist I always have been.

Suddenly, the city mass disaster siren sounds; a sound I wished I would never hear.

"Carrots…" Nick mutters, doubting the safety of our current situation.

Suddenly, the Mayor's voice booms over the city-wide intercoms.

"Attention all citizens of Zootopia! Please, gather your most needed belongings and evacuate the city!"

Automated warnings begin to play from various locations, stating only the simple word: "evacuate!".

I immediately receive a call from Bogo, as Nick watches me answer with wide eyes.

"Bogo? What-"

"Get back to the police station, now!" he yells with haste.

With that, he hangs up, leaving Nick and I in a frantic state of mind.

We begin dashing towards the police station, perhaps running even faster than this morning. Hopefully, this time, we won't be too late.

"Hey, Judy! I know this is cliché, but I want you to remember that no matter what happens…I…I…I couldn't have asked for a better friend" he sputters.

"You too, Nick! You've been amazing! But it's not o-over yet" I say through deep breaths, now only a block away from the police station.

The final steps feel like the last few strides in a marathon. The street looks quite deserted, and I see no one driving on the road. Only a few people are in sight, all hiding behind various objects, or sprinting like there's no tomorrow.

We burst through the back entrance into the police station, only to meet a dooming silence, and the sight; the sight that continues to haunt me every time I close my eyes. I try to draw my gun, but I fall to my knees, absolutely distraught, overcome with emotional torment. The sirens of disaster echo through my ears, but only one word has control over me in this very moment.

Nick stares ahead with a dazed look, also speechless. Once again, nothing seems real.

 _This is all a dream. It isn't real._

And oh God, the blood.

It's everywhere.

The smell, filling my lungs, depriving me of the innocence I once had.

Nick is the first to interrupt the dead silence.

"We have to go! Now!" he says in a surprisingly authoritative tone.

Then I hear the noise.

And I seem him approaching. No, not Clawhauser, as he lies dead, ripped in the most creative of ways.

Not the Mayor, who appears to have been cut in half vertically.

In front of me stands Chief Bogo, his eyes glowing scarlet red.

 **Of course! A cliff hanger! Heh, I'm just too evil. Anyways, I have a busy next few days, so I** _ **probably**_ **won't have an update tomorrow, but I'll work my hardest to get it up ASAP. Anyways, hope you enjoyed chapter 3! And trust me when I say this; things are about to get even more interesting. Oh, and thanks for the reviews and follows/ favorites! Please keep those coming. See you soon, readers!**


	4. Frozen in Fear

**Surprise! Another chapter! Anyways, thanks for the feedback in the reviews, I really appreciate it! I'm having fun writing this story, although it may be quite brutal. With that, please enjoy chapter four!**

 **Nick POV**

I try to make a noise, but I can't force myself to say a word. I have my weapon aimed right at the face of Bogo, but I can't imagine pulling the trigger to end his life.

I glance at Judy as the creature, formally known as Bogo glares at us, daring us to move. From a brief look, I can tell Judy and I are thinking the same thing: "What do we do?"

"Bogo! You're more than this!" Judy says to him, attempting to free him from the beast inside.

Chief Bogo shrivels up and drops to the ground in a sequence of spasms and yells that sound like something straight from hell. We continue to back away from him, not making any sudden movements. Our backs touch the door of the police department, as we struggle to ignore the nauseating smell of blood, and the sight of flesh torn to shreds.

Then, it all happened so fast. My mind racing as I observe the casualties, I notice two gleaming eyes emerging from one of the offices, and then I realize that the demon I am now watching is one of my fellow officers; besides Judy, the only female in our station, Jess. Jess had been one of Judy's friends, able to relate to Judy due to her small size, and being close to the same species; well, I'm assuming rabbits and otters are at least somewhat alike. However, I doubt Judy can think the same of the monstrosity that is now approaching Bogo. After all we've seen the past few days, losing friends is nothing more than another bump on the road.

I watch in awe as Jess leaps onto Bogo, also making deranged noises, as Bogo screams in agony. Judy and I back out of the doors as the two beasts engage in a fight to the death; something I very much don't want to be a part of. The last thing I see before the door closes is Jess clawing at the eyes of Bogo, tearing them out with ease, eliciting a bone rattling screech from Bogo, as he proceeds to finally get hold of the small devils, which he then proceeds to tear in half.

Judy and I sprint to our police cruiser, thinking about nothing other than survival.

 _We have to get out of here._

I collide with the door of the cruiser, and unlock it with upmost effort. We close both doors, and I slam on the gas, not speaking a word.

 _Where will we go? What's going to happen?_

I can't help but continue to ponder to myself, imagining each worst scenario.

"I'm sorry you had to see that, Carrots" I speak as I drive, passing more disturbed animals roaming the streets, to which I veer away from.

"It's okay Nick, we just need to make it out of here alive!"

The number of animals seemingly possessed is staggering as I drive, several attempting to chase the armored vehicle. Most, however, are more interested in tearing the guts out of each other.

The street intercoms are still ringing with the same words: "Evacuate!"

I used to use the term "chaotic" quite commonly, without very much care. I tossed the word around to describe a variety of situations, including parades, black Friday, among other things. But this, this is true chaos.

I'm holding the gas pedal down as far as it will go, and I shoot a look at the speedometer.

 _112 MPH._

I gasp in shock, knowing a crash would surely kill us both, but continue driving down the straight road, hitting a few creatures every few seconds, turning them into practical mush. After all, a car crash would be much more graceful than the other option that will surely happen if I slow down.

Out of the corner of my eye, I can see Judy, leaning back in her chair, eyes shut tight, as if she is trying to block out reality, and the sounds of my vehicle splatting into demonic pedestrians.

 _I can't blame you._

 **Judy POV**

The memories from just a few days back flood into my mind. I, wishing for my job to get more eventful. If only I knew...

We've now reached the bridge out of town, and we witness hordes of normal citizens crowding to reach trains, and we notice traffic ahead. Nick turns on the siren so that we can pass, which seems like a selfish thing to do. However, I think back at the hell behind us and I gladly accept his decision. As we leave our home, I turn on the radio, listening to the news station, which I seem to turn to at just the correct time.

"We don't know what's going on...all we know is that this is a national emergency, and we have no idea how this is going to end".

 _So, it isn't just Zootopia...this is a national emergency._

I practically punch the power button on the radio, struggling not to release tears of fear, to which Nick notices as we drive through the parting traffic.

"It's alright, fluff. We'll be alright."

He still doesn't sound like his usual confident self. He speaks with a barely-noticeable doubtful tone.

I try my best to see the glass half full.

"You're right. We're the best two officers in Zootopia. We aren't going to let some...weird, mind control thing stop us."

"Definitely! Well I mean, so long as we don't...become zombies".

Come to think of it now, this entire situation really does resemble some zombie attack of some sort. So mindless, so violent, so unlikely.

"I just can't believe its all gone. Everything I knew. Where are we going to go?" I ask.

"Not sure. Wait, you have a family, right?"

 _My family! How could I forget!_

"Yes! I need to call them! Like now! We could go stay with them! Maybe we'd-"

Then, the horrifying thought crosses my mind.

 _What if they're different?What if they're dead?_

Nick notices the anxiety written on my face.

"Don't worry about it Judy. Where'd you say you lived?"

I give him my address as he enters it in the GPS, and immediately call my parents, tapping my fingers on the side of the car door, waiting for an answer, an answer that never comes.

"Please leave a message" my phone proclaims as my stomach sinks.

"Nick, drive fast" I choke out, trying my best not to cry, trying my best not to break.

 **9:04 AM- One Hour Later**

Finally past all the traffic, we pull into my driveway, and into yet another state of panic. Bunnies, everywhere, packing their belongings, ready for an unforeseen migration. I jump out of the car, feeling such a mix of emotions. No one appears to be infected yet, but I cannot settle down until I find my parents.

I notice one of my dad's best friends about to get in his car, and I stop him.

"Mr. Fredrick! Where is my family?" I ask, exasperated, and on wits end.

He looks shocked to see me, but speaks regardless.

"They're down in that nuclear shelter that was built last year. They're alright now, but if this keeps up, I don't think anyone will be for long".

I mutter a quick "thanks" before I dash in the direction of the shelter, Nick right beside me as usual. I notice the other rabbits giving my best friend dirty looks, and curse them silently in my mind.

 _Aren't there bigger things to worry about?_

My mind is racing, still not quite adequate after stumbling upon the scene at the ZPD. My legs ache quite a bit considering all the running I've endured only today, not to mention the past few days. My lungs are sore from holding back all the tears, and I feel numb inside my soul. But then I look over at Nick, at my side after all of this, and I feel love again. Undeniable love, that to be frank, I cannot keep bottled up much longer. Combined with the feelings of shock, sadness, strife, and confusion, keeping it all hidden has taken a toll on me mentally.

At last, I stumble upon the entrance to the shelter, with a line of rabbits entering.

"ZPD Judy Hopps!" I say, "I need to get by!"

The crowd parts for me to pass, and Nick and I stumble down the staircase as I call the names of my father and mother, and at last, we stumble into a a huge lobby, with guards all around, armed.

I walk up to one of them; a tall prairie dog it appears, and I speak.

"Do you know where the Hopps family is?"

He points to a room, and I open the door, and feel relief beyond measure.

"Judy!" my mother screams as she runs towards me along with my dad, my siblings standing back in shock.

My parents pull me into a tight hug, and I cry tears of relief.

"We thought you were dead, Judy!" my dad exclaims, crying also, "We were told that everyone in Zootopia was basically a goner!"

"I tried calling you, but you didn't answer" I say.

"They wouldn't let us take our phones down here. I-I can't believe it! You're alive!" my mom says through her tears.

I glance over at Nick with a huge smile, and he returns the look. I release my parents, and walk beside Nick, and immediately their gaze looks uneasy.

"Mom, Dad, this is my partner...and best friend, Nick Wilde".

My parents are obviously quite shocked at the sight of a fox, but so joyful about my survival that they don't really care.

They both shake Nick's hand, and introduce themselves.

"Well, Judy and I have been through a lot together" he looks at me and grins before continuing, "And I can see why you love her so much. She showed me that I can be something more than what people labeled me as, and...she believed in me."

My parents grin, knowing however that they are guilty of much the same, but I'm still glad that they are treating him normally.

"Well, I'm glad Judy has had someone to be there by her side while she's in the big city" my dad states.

I love to be my independent self, but even I know I needed someone while I was in Zootopia. Someone to talk to about deep subjects, laugh with, fight crime with. Nick...well, he fits everything I would want in a person. Who would've thought an unemotional, shifty fox would ever fit any of those categories?

 _That's not who Nick is, though. He never was shifty or unemotional. Society attempted to mold him like clay into their image of who a fox should be. Luckily, he was bent, but never broken, never ripped. Nick is his own person. And I like...love that about him._

 **11:23 AM- Nick POV**

After a while of being reunited with her parents, and hanging around with them in the bunker, I begin to feel strange. It's becoming harder to think straight, like every shard of my intuitive spirit is telling me that its time to leave. However, I would never interrupt Judy's happiness. This is as happy as I've seen her in quite some time.

We sit around in the bunker, ignoring the strife from the outside, and discuss all sorts of things, even with my constant uneasiness. Her parents seem to...not hate me, which is definitely a plus.

I catch myself staring at Judy for what feels like the twentieth time today, and mentally slap myself.

 _You're going to creep her out if you keep this up, Nick._

My thoughts are interrupted as several animals rush into the bunker, dragging what appears to be a wounded rabbit, screaming in pain.

Instinctively, Judy and I jump up to assist the animal, but the medics usher us back a bit. "What happened?" I ask.

"Some of them found us. It appears as though some of them...they are working together...somehow. We thought they were mindless savages, but they...they're almost evolving. We locked the doors to the shelter, so we should be alright. But we're surrounded."

I immediately panic.

 _No. We can't be stuck in here._

Perhaps I have claustrophobia, but being stuck underground is not an option.

"Anyways" the medic continues over the yelps of the wounded rabbit, "One of them landed a bite on this poor civilian and...we're doing what we can."

"When will we get out?" I ask impatiently, obviously not comfortable with this.

"We requested a SWAT team, so hopefully they get here soon. The question is, how are they going to take them all down? There's got to be ten, maybe fifteen of them out there. And they all want us to die in the worst ways possible. We hardly have a choice..." he speaks.

"Well, we can't just stay here forever!" I say, not quite screaming, but raising my voice.

"If you have better plans, we will be sure to listen" he states in an oddly irritating tone.

"I mean, there's _way_ more of us than them! Can't we fight our way out?"

He shakes his head solemnly.

"You can't underestimate these...these things. They don't feel pain or remorse. They will stop at nothing to murder us in cold blood".

I hate to admit it, but he is right. It seems like they are powered-up, nearly. A force not to be reckoned with.

As the other medics assist the animal, I drag Judy out of the hearing range of anyone else, not that it is exactly difficult with the panic surrounding us.

"Judy, we can't stay here forever! Sure, rabbits may be fine with being stuck underground...but foxes...we can't pull that off. I'll go crazy or something" I tell her.

"I don't know what to do, Nick" she tells me bluntly, "It's stay here and live a boring life, or go outside to certain death".

Then, it happens. The rabbit on the ground begins twitching and making absolutely disturbing sounds, very reminiscent of Bogo just hours ago.

"Restrain him!" a security guard yells in a commanding voice, to which the medic attempt.

It looks like something straight out of a superhero comic. The rabbit throws the officers off with ease, even catapulting one of the across the room and into the wall with it's legs.

Judy and I both realize at the same time that the door of the vault did not stop the madness from making its way in.

"Oh God" my mother whispers.

"Everyone!" Judy yells, "We are going to have to get out of here! The sickness has made its way in...we have to fight our way out!"

More chaos surrounds us.

Judy hugs her parents, and attempts to hug all of her siblings in a group hug-type-thing, and then we begin up the stairs, meeting with the other officers at the door to the outside, as the medics are forced to put a round into the head of the rabbit.

 **Judy POV**

What I witness next, I cannot understand, or fully comprehend. One of the medic says something in a walkie talkie, and I stare in confusion as Nick discusses a plan with the other officers to get us out. I watch as the medic nods, and puts the device back in his pocket. He glances up at another medic, and says three words, barely audible to me: "It's too late". It looks as though the other medics are arguing with him for a moment, but he refuses to listen. He opens a backpack, and I watch the packed den begin to shift in ambiance. I watch as several mammals, including some of my very own siblings, fall to the ground, twitching and screaming as loud as their lungs can manage. Out of the backpack, the medic retrieves several assault rifles, and I cannot move or speak; not even think. I am absolutely frozen; my life flashing before my very soul, my consciousness not responsive in any way. The medics take aim at the people I've come to know through thick and thin, my caretakers, my guardians, my family. I watch as the tears flow freely from numerous citizens, knowing very well of what's to come. Nick has noticed me now, and he says something that I don't register in my mind. I see my mother stare into my eyes, not even needing to speak for me to know she loves me.

My mind suddenly returns to me, and a scream in absolute terror.

"OH MY GOD, NO!"

I hear the shots ring out, but I run, ignoring the consequences, at the medics. I fire freely into the backs of them with my gun, and they all collapse. I have no time to regret my actions, and I sprint to my family's aid, bawling.

I think I scream something, but my mind is racing too fast to recall any of it. My dad lies with gunshot wounds in his chest, rolling in agony. About half of my siblings are dead, and some that are living are on the verge of becoming a threat to my safety. My mother however is not moving, and a sickening pool of blood is forming around her. I scream in agony at the sight, and collapse beside my parents.

"Dad! Mom! Please...no..."

I can barely speak as I choke on tears.

"Judy...you have to go!" my dad forces out, grabbing my hand.

I can't even look at my mother after seeing the gruesome gunshot wound to her head.

"No...I can't leave you here...I can't..." I choke out.

"Judy...you have to. You'll..." he coughs up blood; "You'll be fine, Judy. You're strong, and you have N-Nick. It's our time to go. You have to move on to the next chapter in your life. I...I know you'll d-do well. I love you so much. Now, run, before its too late."

"I love you, dad. This isn't goodbye. Tell mom that I love her when you see her."

He uses the rest of his strength to nod, and then his hand falls to the ground. I immediately wipe the tears from my eyes, and run up the stairs to Nick.

He stares at me with tears in his eyes, but I have no more time to feel pity for myself. I walk past the lead officer and flip the switch to open the vault doors, to much protest.

"Don't anyone dare stop me!" I scream, aiming my weapon at security, daring them to try.

I hear the screeching of the door opening, and I turn to the door.

Nick walks up beside me, holding a stolen assault rifle, and holds me close for what may be the last time.

"Let's go, Carrots."

 **Well, it was hard to write, I'm not going to lie. Judy has now lost pretty much lost everything, except for one person. Don't think that Nick and Judy will be the only people left, though. Trust me, this won't** _ **all**_ **be depressing. Thanks for reading, and please leave your thoughts in the reviews! (By the way, I will start replying to questions at the beginning of each chapter from now on). Until next time!**


	5. The Child

**Person- Yep! The video game was simply a vision of the future, I guess you could say.**

 **SparkleyUnihorse- Thanks for the support! No spoilers here though. And yes, that would be depressing, wouldn't it?**

 **.2015- The infection spares no one.**

 **RoseTheWolfGirl- Thanks! Appreciate the feedback!**

 **Damn Daniel, back at it again with another update! Anyways, this chapter isn't too dark, so embrace it! It won't stay that way forever. But enough talk. Enjoy chapter 5!**

 **Nick POV**

Honestly, I can't even comprehend my sympathy for Judy at this moment in time. When I look in her eyes, they seem to be hiding a true pain; one that is truly tearing her apart. I've never been one to cry, or show deep emotions. But right now, I feel my eyes tearing up, and my heart breaking in two as I turn away from Judy, and look straight ahead as the door opens slowly upwards.

 _This is it Nick. This is most likely going to be the death of both of you, so you have to tell her. But do I want to risk ending our lives in awkwardness? Wouldn't it be better to just die the best of friends?_

It just doesn't feel like the right time to do it, even though this might be the end.

The door opens, and to my surprise, weapon drawn, no sort of creature attempts to ambush us.

The entire town is torn apart, corpses surrounding the area once more; but no sign of any murderers.

We step out of the door, and scan the area, still seeing nothing considered an active threat. My heart is pounding as I look around cautiously, no one making a sound. We can hear gunshots way off in the distance, but nothing here.

 _Well that was anti-climatic._

With no visible threat in sight, the chief officer orders the door to the vault to be closed, dooming Judy's entire family. However, everyone in the vault will be infected briefly anyways. I'm sure Judy would prefer to simply leave them all behind, and not see her family attempting to murder her.

"We need to get to the cruiser. Maybe we can find somewhere isolated..." I suggest, to which she simply nods, still not comprehending the entirety of what just occurred.

We walk quickly to the car and away from the other officers, the vault, Judy's family, and everything she used to know with weapons at the ready, but still encounter no one.

After closing the car doors, we sit in silence, and she immediately falls into my embrace, sobbing, and I hold her tight, not able to hold back tears of my own. I rub my hand up and down her back, attempting to comfort her in some way, but this isn't something that can be cured so easily. I think back to the day I lost my mom, and I can't help but hold her even tighter. I remember the feeling of being rammed in the stomach with a sledgehammer upon hearing the news of my mother being in a car accident, followed by the disbelief. I couldn't come to accept what happened, and refused to believe it for days, weeks even.

She pulls away from me and sits up straight in her seat.

"Save this for later. We have to get out of here. I can't...I can't look at this place anymore" she says.

I press down the gas, and we begin driving, until I realize a new problem: we are nearly out of gas, the indicator teetering towards the "E". I don't dare show any negative emotion, not wanting to send any more negative vibes her way.

After about ten minutes of silent driving, I spot a gas station on the side of the road, and pull over, not seeing any form of threat. The entire area looks completely deserted, and and quietly open the door.

"I'll make this as quick as I can" I mutter, as I swipe my credit card.

I glance at Judy after I am presented with no reply, and I notice her biting her lip, still holding in all of the dark energy absorbed over the past few days.

I almost say something, but I stop myself, and plug the gas pump into the car.

"This is hard, Nick" she suddenly says in a flat tone.

"That's quite the understatement, Fluff" I reply, as I sit beside her once more.

She sighs audibly.

"Who would have thought? You know? This...it just doesn't feel real. What if we are dreaming or something?"

I look upwards, deep in thought, and proceed to pinch myself on the arm, and I clearly feel the pain.

"Nope" I say in a downcast tone; "This is real life."

Judy nods, once again on the verge of breaking.

"I think I need to tell you something, Judy" I say.

She looks in my eyes.

"I'm listening" she says softly.

"You know, your parents...they loved you so much. You know that..."

She nods.

"Well, my dad...he hated me. As a kid, he hit me, and bruised me, and told me he wished I'd never been born..."

 _I can't believe I'm actually telling her all of this._

"And he left my family when I was really young; maybe five or six. Not that the fact that he left is a bad thing, but you know...it still hurts. And when my mom died, I felt so alone. I remembered what my dad told me, and I felt so worthless. So, when I saw you with your parents...it just makes me happy that you had such great parents."

Judy immediately pulls me into an intense hug, and I hold her tight.

 _Judy, the person who has gotten me through it all, the one who really cares, and the one I always want by my side._

The fact that I still haven't confessed my love for her is enough to make anyone cringe, understandably so. But what if I lose her? Not physically, but having a non-mutual love would definitely create a gap between us emotionally.

It won't be long though until I am no longer able to hold back my powerful feelings anymore; and that day, I really hope that the universe is on my side.

 **Judy POV**

 _Us bunnies, so emotional._

I can't help but cry as I embrace Nick, ignoring the hell around us. Nick has really taught me a lot, no sarcasm. Although my family, and everything I knew are good, I remember the quote that my mom would often tell me.

 _"Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened."_

Yes, this quote may not fit every context in life, but I can't continue to live in such a depressing atmosphere if I want to survive. I have to be willing to do anything and everything to protect Nick, and keep us going in this unforgiving land that I once called home. It's not like I've even registered the death of my former life yet, anyways. My mind cannot full comprehend the turn in my life.

"Nick, I'm so lucky to have you" I say sincerely, feeling unbelievable pity for him.

He releases me as we hear the gas nozzle click, indicating that the engine is full, starling us both quite a bit.

We both laugh a bit, finding it amusing, and he replies to my earlier statement.

"I'm lucky to have you too, Carrots."

After he takes the nozzle out, not bothering to pay, we hit the road once more, heading nowhere in particular.

I turn up the radio, but this time, I hear nothing but static.

"Check the news online and see if this...disease hasn't spread everywhere yet. We can't just drive around forever" he says in a slightly humorous tone.

The truth is, I don't care where we go as long as I'm with him.

I open my social media, and immediately my newsfeed is crammed with stories of the mysterious infection.

The last post from an official news source was over three hours ago, which isn't a good sign. I read over various "goodbye" posts, from many of my friends that knew there is no escape. According to many reports, nearly 84% of all people on Earth have been infected, and only about 3% are currently hidden in vaults and other cellars. That means 13% of people are still roaming around this punishing Earth.

 _But that was written three hours ago._

Considering how fast the disease spreads, that number has probably dwindled considerably since then.

"It's spread everywhere, but that's not to say we can't...you know, survive. We aren't the only ones left."

"That's true" Nick says, facing hell with an upbeat attitude.

Nick's phone rings, which he picks up swiftly.

"Hello?"

"Officer Wilde! Are you with Officer Hopps?!"

It's one of the officers from the vault.

"Yes..."

"They-they're back! Oh God, help us! We need backup, we ne-"

The phone line goes dead, and Nick places the device beside him, not letting the fear get to him. It seems sad that the death of other animals doesn't mean much anymore, but in this new world, it really is nothing new to me anymore. I no longer feel sick at the sight of blood, and I no longer cry at the sounds of a soul struggling to breathe. It almost feels like I'm losing my morality.

I peer out the window at the plains as we drive, and suddenly receive an idea.

"Wait! There's this guy my mom used to know! She used to go fire guns at a firing range, and the owner...what's his name..."

I think hard to myself.

"Galvin! Galvin Reeds, that was his name! He owns a huge cache of guns on his property!"

"Which way?!" Nick asks, knowing these weapons are quintessential to our survival.

"I...I think it's right down the road! He lived about twenty minutes down the road from us."

Nick fist bumps me with a bit of enthusiasm.

"You're a genius, Carrots".

We take a turn a few minutes later onto a dirt road that I remember leads to his home, and we drive slowly and cautiously, not wanting to attract any attention from lost souls.

We eventually come across the trailer and as carefully and quietly as possible, we exit the car.

"Watch yourself, Judy. You're all I have left" he says with a pitiful smile.

"Right back at ya, Wilde."

Upon reaching the door to the large, mysterious cache, I discover that the door is locked, which I expected. I begin stressing over a solution, but then remember.

 _Oh, wait. I'm a rabbit._

I kick the door as hard as I can, and it gives in with ease.

 _Must be old._

"Nick! Come here!" I say as loud as I can without being _too_ loud.

We walk into the trailer, and the lights are still on.

"Hello? Anyone in here?" Nick asks.

No answer.

I open the door to one of his closets, and discover his stash of weapons.

"Cheese and crackers..." I say, shocked at the vast amount of assault weapons and ammo.

"Looks like we could survive after all" Nick says incredulously.

I let out a gleeful laugh as I grab two backpacks from the closet, and we proceed to fill them both with ammo and weapons of our choice. Perhaps this is our lucky break; maybe life is taking it easy on us for a change.

"This looks fatal" Nick says, holding up an object that much resembles a grenade, which gives me flashbacks of last night.

I glance at my watch and note the time

 _1:19 pm._

We finish up stuffing our bags, and search the remainder of the home for any sign of Galvin's survival, only to find nothing. However, I find his cell phone lying on his bed, still unlocked, though almost out of battery. His most recent text on the lock screen reads:

 _10:19 am- I don't know what's going on, Galvin. I called 911, and I'm hiding in my closet. Dean has gone berserk. I'm already bleeding from him, but I managed to escape and lock the door to the closet behind me. He's waiting for me out there. He's become one of those things. God help me."_

Formerly, the text would've sent shivers down my spine, but now, it doesn't affect me in the slightest. I toss the phone back on the bed and continue searching for anything of use.

Eventually I leave his room empty handed, and come across Nick, searching through another room.

"You find anything useful?" I ask, not even feeling remorse at the thought of stealing.

"Well, not much. But I did stuff my backpack with a lot of food. Not sure it will last the rest of our lives, though" he says, gazing down at his bag, sounding a bit cynical.

I forgot all about food, although that shouldn't be much of a problem. The grocery stores will be fully stocked, with no one to sell to.

"Good. That should give us a while to figure things out instead of just rushing into a store with no experience or plan."

Nick laughs as he looks at the bag of cheese puffs cradled in his arm.

"Back to the thief life again, huh?" he asks himself.

I giggle a bit.

"Context matters you know" I say.

"Course' I know that, Cottontail" he says, smirking at me.

I feel a wave of relief, knowing that through all of this, Nick is still his old self; sarcastic, witty and cynical, although he still manages to be caring and thoughtful.

We head out of the eerie trailer, carrying our bags back to the car.

"So, where are we planning on sleeping tonight?" I ask curiously.

"Oh, sleeping...right..." he mutters in a not-so-reassuring tone.

"Well, we can't just sleep in the car. We'll get ambushed while we're out" I state.

"That's true. Well, I mean, we could sleep in the back seat and lock the doors. The windows are bullet proof, so we should be good on that. And if they break through the windshield there's still a barrier to separate us from the front...sounds safe enough."

"Guess we don't have any better options" I state bluntly.

"Doesn't seem to be a popular location out here, so why n-"

Right on cue, I hear movement in the woods behind me.

 **Nick POV**

We both quickly unzip our bags and remove two of the rifles, and click the safety off. We aim the weapons into the woods at the source of the noise, but find something I didn't quite expect to see.

"Don't shoot!" says an actual soul.

"What?..." I mutter in shock, aiming the firearm to the ground.

A small hedgehog emerges from the bushes, causing me to stare in confusion.

"Are you Galvin's...son?" Judy asks.

He nods, and looks as though he can't be older than nine or ten.

 _I wonder how it feels to go through this as a child._

"Can you tell me what happened?" I ask him, "Where did your dad go?"

He looks straight ahead, not looking either of us in the eyes, and looks truly lost.

"He told me he'd be right back. But then I heard him scream, and I knew he wasn't going to come home."

I glance over at Judy and we exchange compassionate looks.

"I'm sorry to tell you, but you're right. Your daddy, he's...he's in a better place now" Judy says, attempting to find positivity in a cup completely void of water.

"Do you want to come with us?" I ask, not knowing how else the child will survive.

The child slowly nods, understandably shaken.

"Why is everyone going crazy?" he asks.

"We...no one knows" Judy simply states.

We hear a satanic noise perhaps a kilometer in the distance, and I glance at Nick with worry.

"They've found us. We have to get out of here" I say.

We hop in the car, and the child sits behind us.

As I step on the gas, Judy initiates conversation.

"So, what's your name?" she asks him delicately as I drive.

"Avery" he replies quietly.

"Well, nice to meet you! I know it's not exactly a bright time right now, but it's nice to see other people that _don't_ want to rip Judy and I apart" I say with a light smile.

"So, are you and Nick going to be my mom and dad?"

I almost choke on the water I am currently drinking, and my eyes widen.

"Well I don't know about _that_ , but we will look after you, I promise you that" she says with a warm smile.

"Wait, so you and him aren't dating?"

Judy and I look at each other with visible blush, and I reply.

"Well...I-"

"It's alright, I'm just messin with ya!" he says, now sounding much more comfortable in our presence.

"So you're a funny guy, huh Avery?" I ask with my usual smirk.

"Guess you could call me that. I annoyed my dad to no end, though".

He looks sad for a moment, recalling the death of his dad.

"I lost my parents today, too" Judy tells him, "Seems to be a popular thing today".

"Seems like it. None of it feels real to me" he says softly.

"Feels like a bad dream" I add.

 _Except we're not going to wake up._

We reach the end of the dirt road and rejoin the highway, with no cars visible.

My watch currently reads:

 _3:14 pm._

Although I'm quite scared about the nighttime, I try to wipe the thoughts away, thinking of places to go.

 _An isolated mountaintop? A desert? Where could possibly be safe?_

I drive the opposite direction of Zootopia, as Judy continues to converse with Avery, trying to get to know him as best as she can. He's going to be with us for quite a while after this. In a way, I almost already feel like a father. Yes, I know that would creep Judy out if I said that aloud...but I kind of like this whole mom-dad thing.

I watch Judy as I drive down a long straightaway, now in the desert about thirty miles from Zootopia; to which I cannot recall the geographic name. I stare at her as she interacts with the small child, and my heart begins to rush even faster. My throat begins to feel dry, and I feel warm all over.

 _Oh, you make a mess out of me, Carrots._

 **Three hours later- 6:03 PM**

The sun is beginning to set, and our gas is low. Luckily, we arrive at another gas station in convenient fashion, and I notice a lone Jaguar standing, not looking so ferocious.

"Sir! Are you alright?" Judy yells out the window, still wary of a possible sneak attack.

"I'm fine darlin', thanks" he replies, looking quite downcast, and speaking with a heavy southern accent.

"Well, we were just stopping to get some gas if that's okay with you" I say.

"Help yourself. Ain't no use to me now" he mutters with contempt, as he walks off slowly.

 _Well then._

"Don't you want to come with us?" Judy screams to him.

"Nah thanks, ma'am. I'm a lone wol...jaguar, pardon me. It don't matter where ya drive, or where ya go. It's only choosing a different location for your grave. But good luck anyways".

He disappears behind the building, and I shrug to Judy.

Judy hops out of the car and begins filling the car up with gas once again, and I realize; I can't delay it any longer. My heart is pounding, and I can't stop sneaking glances at her; which eventually, she notices.

"Nick, stop the car" she states simply.

The car rolls to a halt; I, being careful not to wake up Avery as he sleeps peacefully in the back seat.

I don't say a word; I just gaze off into the sunset with a vacant expression.

"Something's wrong, I know" she says.

"Maybe, maybe not."

"What does that mean?"

I shift my eyes from the sunset to her.

"It's hard to explain, Carrots. Really hard."

She puts her arm on my shoulder, trying to get me to open up.

"Talk to me, Nick. I'm listening."

 _This is it. I can't hold this in another second. Whether this mends us even tighter than before, or pushes us further apart, I can't keep this bottled up._

I take a long, deep breath, and utter the words I've dreamed of speaking for quite some time.

"I love you, Judy."

 **Wow! A cliff hanger like that is just _evil,_ isn't it? Wasn't that just fluff-galore? Also, Avery will be a major character from here on out, so don't overlook him. I will have chapter 6 up ASAP, but until then; thanks for reading, and please leave your thoughts in the reviews!**


	6. Evolution

**OPUS0987- Thanks for the support! Glad you're enjoying it. And to answer your questions:**

 **1- Being bitten is not a requirement for one to turn. The infection spreads in mysterious ways; however, being bitten is the most efficient way to "change sides".**

 **2- Good question. Maybe we will find out later on...**

 **3- Bogo didn't fight it; once it takes control, there's nothing one can do. He simply experienced a well-timed convulsion.**

 **1-800fangirl- Thanks! And I know what you mean by: "snarky comments in intense moments". That's who Nick is, after all. In the beginning of the story, he's just in shock. And about harming Nick or Judy...only option is to read and find out. ;D**

 **Alyssa Says Hi- Glad you enjoyed it! I also had a pet hedgehog a few years back. Didn't end so well, however. And yes, the story is quite evil, isn't it?**

 **ThisGuysRightHere- I won't consider this a spoil, but I can tell you the story doesn't end that way. And yes, I guess you could say this has some similarities to The Walking Dead, although I've only seen two episodes of it. Thanks for the review!**

 **Anyways, I appreciate the feedback. Now, prepare yourselves for chapter six.**

 **Judy POV  
** I stare into Nick's eyes, in complete and utter shock. My heart beats fast, but I can't find an adequate way to reply, but I speak anyways.

"You...you do?"

"Of course I do. How could I not? I mean, all you've done is help me realize that I'm a good person, made me feel happy even in times of...whatever this is" he gestures out the window, "and you've given me purpose. I feel complete because of you, Carrots...and I'm sorry if you don't feel-"

I interrupt Nick's words with an impulsive kiss, not able to hold back my feelings any longer either. I feel so relieved, like the weight of a thousand planets has tumbled off my shoulders. No one _should_ feel this ecstatic during time like these, but I feel as though I could float off the face of the very planet. I've _never_ felt _anything_ like this before.

The kiss ends, and he hugs me close, holding me as though I'm his world; everything he would ever want in life.

"Well, that was..."

"Amazing" he interrupts.

"Yeah" I speak with a small giggle, blushing quite a bit, "Sure was. Oh, and I love you too, Nick".

"Oh, I see how it is" Avery mutters jokingly in the back seat, and we can't help but all laugh.

"We can talk about it later when we find shelter" Nick says with a warm smile, to which I return, "But thanks for not slapping me or something".

I laugh, and then he continues driving, looking as happy as I've ever seen him. I can't help but beam to myself, feeling like I'm literally glowing with happiness, feeling quite incredible on the inside.

"So, how was the nap?" Nick asks Avery.

"I was just kiddin'. I was pretending"

"Just to hear Judy and I talk?" he asks, rolling his eyes.

"Maybe" he replies.

We all have a laugh about it, driving down the road into the sunset.

Such a nice sequence of events, right? It feels so surreal, but this time in the best sense possible.

 **8:02 PM- Nick POV**

The world is now dark, the sun completely over the horizon. However, my soul is quite the opposite, feeling so floaty and so hopeful. I can't stop smiling as I drive, the headlights lighting up the road ahead of me.

We head into a wooded area, and I continue down the highway to nothing in particular. The trees, combined with the stars in the sky combine to create somewhat of a pretty sightJudy and Avery sleep peacefully, and I note the serenity flowing throughout the vehicle. Then, the headlights shoot light onto a sight no so pretty.

"Whoa!" I yell, slamming on the breaks, jolting Judy and Avery awake.

Judy looks dazed for a moment, but notices my reason for the sudden stop.

"Put it in reverse!" she screams.

The horde of demons in front of us stare at us, eyes alight, with pure contempt.

"Plastic surgery wouldn't hurt" I state with a wry tone, glancing at the monstrosities in front of me.

I change the gear, and slam on the gas pedal, shooting us in reverse like a bullet escaping a gun.

I turn the wheel, whirling the cruiser around with no grace, and I quickly change gears back to drive.

"Go! Go! Go!" Avery commands in fear as the monsters approach us.

I slam on the gas, sending us back into our seats, just as I hear a creature scrape the back of the car.

I hit 80 mph just in case there are cheetahs that are among the undead, and Judy speaks.

"How many of them do you think there were?"

"Like a million!" Avery screams, slumped way down in his seat.

"Probably!" I say.

I turn onto an exit and off the highway, and join onto another road, finally out of the reach of the demons behind us. Well, most of them, anyways.

"Nick!" Avery screams.

I hear crawling on top of the car, and cringe to myself. One must have gotten on top of the car back there.

"Is everyone wearing seat belts?" I ask, trying to remain clam.

"Yeah, why?" Judy responds, glancing up at the ceiling nervously.

"Hold on to what you got".

I slam down on the breaks once more, and the creature on top of the car flies off the roof, and rolls on the pavement for 100 feet or so, and comes to a halt. I step out of the car along with Judy, and we point our guns at the motionless target, waiting for some form of a threat; which many would consider the very presence of such a creature to be just that.

"Don't you dare move!" Judy yells, knowing very well these things to do obey commands.

But then, something shocking happens.

The animal, stand to its feet, and I notice that it is a simple deer, although heavily infected. A growth looking somewhat like barnacles and algae cover it's body, and it's eyes glow a deep scarlet red just like all the others. But this creature just spoke English words.

"Um...did you say something?" I yell to him, bewildered.

"Yes! I look like them, but I...I'm not like them."

I let my guard down and lower my weapon, and proceed to approach the deer.

"How are you still in the right mind?" I ask, looking at Judy in confusion, and back at the animal.

"I... have no idea. I started having these spasms, and my skin wrinkled up, a lot of my fur fell off and over the next few hours I grew...whatever this stuff is...all over me. But my mind is no different. I climbed on your car as you drove away because they would realize I am different if I had stayed."

"Are you hurt?" Judy asks.

"No, not at all for some reason. I don't really feel pain anymore"

I observe the deer as he tells us more, but notice something a bit discomforting. The animal, naturally a herbivore, contains blood in its teeth. If this is what I think it may be, they've evolved mentally too.

 _This is a trap. They knew we would run, so they sent an assassin._

I squint my eyes in skeptical fashion, and step back a few feet, grabbing Judy by the arm to pull her back also.

"Care to explain why you have blood in your teeth?" I ask semi-aggressively.

His eyes narrow before he continues.

"That's not blood...it's ketchup" he states, trying to play innocent with me.

"Nick! Don't be rude to him!" Judy says.

"Yeah, listen to the beautiful lady, here!" he says, causing me to feel a burning anger within me.

"Excuse me, slick, but flirting with _her_ is off limits!" I say, nearly yelling.

"Aw, lay off foxy. I'm not trying to flirt with her. I was just...acknowledging how cute she looks in the moonlight!"

"I don't care what you were trying to say, you know what you did, bud" I respond.

"That was sort of a creepy thing to say, to be completely honest" Judy says to the deer.

"Exactly" I say, smirking at the animal.

"Don't tell me, fox. You're another one of those people that no one likes; trying your hardest to mask your feelings behind an ugly mask, acting all cynical and sarcastic because you're just _so_ much better than anyone. This sweet bunny doesn't need someone like you. She needs someone she can actually trust. Not some _shifty_ and _dishonest_ fox. Now what do you say, sweetheart? Why don't you come with me?"

I've absolutely heard enough. My anger explodes within me, and I back hand him to the ground, tears in my eyes. I aim my gun at him, and do little to stop myself as I pull the trigger once, twice, three times. I unload my entire clip into his skull, now looking quite like red-mush; almost like a ketchup explosion. I don't just stop there. I grab his bloodied, broken head and slam it face first into the ground, screaming, crying as I crush it into the pavement over, and over again. His head has now caved in gruesomely, and I revel mentally at the sight.

I finally hear Judy's voice again, as she pulls me off, screaming.

"Nick! Nick! Don't become one of them! Please!"

I stop myself, and I fall to the ground away from the body, my insides burning.

 **Judy POV**

His eyes are beginning to glow crimson.

"Nick, no! Don't let it do this to you!"

He growls in pain, and convulses.

"You are your own person, Nick! You aren't a savage! You're my best friend...you're everything to me...please don't leave me...I love you Nick! I love you!" I scream to him, attempting to rid him of the monster inside.

I grab his flailing head, and kiss him with passion. If this is my goodbye to him, I need one last kiss before I let him go.

Suddenly, Nick goes completely limp, and I sit by his side, ignoring the thing a few feet away, which I realize now was just a trap.

 _Nick was right. They are evolving._

"Nick? Are you okay?"

"J-Judy?" he asks, dazed, as he sits up.

"I'm here, Nick".

His eyes widen, no longer red, and he glances over at the brutally murdered body beside him.

I usher his eyes back at me, not wanting him to look at the grotesque body.

"Judy...I was one of them.." he mutters, "I'll have to explain later. It's...it's awful".

Nick had finally broken. The creature had gotten to him, just as he intended. However, it did not expect him to respond in such an exaggerated manner.

"Shh.." I say, trying to soothe him as I help him to his feet, and back to the car.

"It's okay Nick. He wasn't a real soul. He was...one of them".

I still couldn't believe my eyes while I watched Nick reduce its face to a bloody pulp. But then again, I don't know if it was really Nick or not. Did he fight something out of his body that briefly took control?

We get back into the car, sitting in stunned silence.

"I'm glad you killed him...he was a big jerk".

Nick turns back to the child and responds.

"I'm sorry you had to see that, Avery".

"I heard what he said and I don't blame you" Avery responds.

Nick forces a smile.

"I guess you're right, kid."

As a few minutes pass and Avery _actually_ falls asleep I scoot closer to Nick as he drives, resting my head on his shoulder.

"Don't you dare let what he said get to you. That's what he was trying to do in the first place" I say sweetly.

"I know, Juds...but, it just really sounded like something my dad would tell me. It just...it...it still hurt. I haven't actually been hurt by words since who knows when, so it was..."

"Not a good feeling, I can imagine" I finish the sentence for him.

"Yeah...guess that's a good way to put it".

"You know what I think of you, though" I state.

"Yeah" he smiles, "That's all that really matters, isn't it?"

I cuddle into him as we continue down the road, not even needing to speak a word to acknowledge the love between us.

As I fall asleep, I go over all the things we need for the next few days of survival in my mind. Luckily at the last gas stop, we got all the gas we could manage, so we should be good on that for a day or two. Food isn't currently a problem, or weapons. It's simply the fact that we must try our best to avoid these things. It truly is a tough time for survival, but it feels almost natural. Nick and I, truly against the world.

My eyes slowly close, and all the chaos of the world, all the emotions, all the pain and all the struggles of survival fade away.

 **10:03 PM- Nick POV**

It's becoming late, and I'm feeling mushy and warm inside because of Judy's presence, which is forcing me to feel drowsy. I get on my smartphone to see if perhaps there are any vaults or shelters nearby, but then I receive an idea.

Perhaps I could find a storm shelter for us to hide in, at least for a night. Anything secluded, really. Eventually I'm going to fall asleep while I drive if I keep this up.

I pull into a suburb, and glance at the sign as I take a left turn into the neighborhood.

 _Autumn Leaf Acres,_ it reads.

All I can hope for is that one of these houses has a storm shelter, because I still don't feel secure sleeping in the car.

Eventually I park the car, and note how many of the houses still have their lights on from when this all began. People didn't even have time to turn off their lights and TVs before they were overran by these things.

I gently shake my shoulder a bit to wake Judy up. She notices how close we are, and blushes, beginning to stutter, but then remembers the events from earlier.

"Never mind" she says simply with a slightly embarrassed look.

"Yeah, I really hoped you hadn't forgot. Being able to admit that the first time is hard, so doing it again would be kind of awkward" I say, causing Judy to giggle as she checks her smartphone instinctively, but then remembers.

"Oh wait, there's no one to get texts from" she says, releasing a touch of sorrow into the atmosphere around us.

"That's true, but I mean...you still have me, Carrots. And you know that you're the best thing that's ever happened to me" I say, the words coming straight from my heart.

We start to lean in again, only to be interrupted abruptly.

"Well that was real smooth" Avery mutters as he sits up.

I roll my eyes as he laughs to himself.

"Do you have to spy on us _all_ the time?" Judy asks.

"Well, I'm only in the same car as you" he responds sarcastically.

Judy changes the subject when she notices that we have come to a stop.

"So Nick, care to explain why we are parked in the middle of a neighborhood?" Judy asks me, watching with a smirk.

"Oh, I forgot about that" I say, opening the car door, "So, I thought if we find a storm shelter...you know, the kind they put in the back yards of houses, we could lock ourselves in there and have at least _some_ security while we sleep" I state.

"That's a good idea, honestly. Especially coming from you" she says with a teasing look.

"I don't see you doing any better, Fluff" I respond nonchalantly.

"Do you guys have to flirt _all_ the time?" Avery asks with a cynical tone.

I laugh at the similarities between Avery and myself, and begin to search for shelters, that is until I see the two red lights approaching us from the nearby treeline.

The eyes of the lost.

I stand firm, holding the assault rifle I took from Galvin's weapon cache, and watch the creature approach, gaining speed with each step. I cannot tell what kind of animal the creature was formerly due to the exaggerated growths along it's face and body.

Suddenly, Avery sprints beside me, and I gasp.

"Avery! What are you doing?"

The monster continues to run towards us; that is until Avery speaks.

He says something I don't quite catch, perhaps another language, and the creature stops in place.

Avery speaks something else, and the creature immediately turns around and sprints away, whimpering in fear.

"Wha...what did you just do?" Judy asks.

Avery shrugs.

"Just told him to go away. He seemed sad about something, and he turned around and said he was going home".

My face freezes in a mix of contemplation, disbelief and confusion.

"What? All he did was make that horrible sound that all the infected make" Judy states, "And how were you speaking in that weird language?"

Avery looks on, looking every bit as normal as usual.

"I just talked to him, I dunno. Maybe he spoke Spanish, because that's the only other language I know".

 _He can talk to these things._

"So, if you can talk to them, why didn't you ask him to tell his friends to you know...not kill us?" I ask.

"I don't know. He sounded sad."

We eventually move on from the subject, and find the opening to a shelter, which thankfully is unlocked. We move inside along the dark cellar, and bring stuffy blankets still in the trunk of the car from the night Judy and I worked a shift in -5 degree weather. After locking the car and the door to the cellar, I use the flashlight to look around the cramped room.

 _Maybe if we're underground, it will be harder for them to sniff us out._

We sit a few minutes, all quite tired from the past few days.

"Well, I don't even know how to describe today" Judy states bluntly, "My parents died, Zootopia is gone, my best friend is..."

She looks at me sweetly.

"Something more now. Oh, and I met you, Asher".

"True, true" he replies casually.

"Still, the fact that you can talk to these things is kind of concerning" I add.

"Also true" he says tiredly.

We talk for a few more minutes, and then next thing I know, Judy and Avery are asleep under the warm blankets.

I sigh as I glance up at the ceiling of the cellar, reveling in my love for Judy, but also still experiencing empathy for Judy. I mean, heck, she lost her parents today.

My eyes begin to shut, but then, milliseconds before I drift off, Judy's phone rings.

"Aw, come on!" I exclaim.

I pick up the phone as Judy and Avery wake up, and I stare, not knowing what to think.

The phone reads:

" _Bogo calling"._

 **Interesting chapter, huh? So, why exactly is Judy receiving a phone call from Bogo? Why can Avery communicate with these creatures? And what about the fluff? Guess we will all find out soon enough. Hope all you readers enjoyed chapter six. Until next time!**


	7. Nightmares

**1-800fangirl- Thought you'd like that! ;)**

 **Thortox- Very true.**

 **SparkleyUnihorse- Guess we will eventually find out!**

 **SAO RG- Thanks, glad you are enjoying it!**

 **Alyssa Says Hi- Yeah, I guess I do update pretty fast. Guess that's an indication that I indeed have no life. Glad you're enjoying it!**

 **Some Guy- You were warned! And thank you!**

 **Judy POV**

I wake up a bit drowsy although I was only asleep for a few minutes, and I see Nick holding my ringing phone, a very confused expression written across his face.

"Um.." Nick speaks.

I glance at his screen, and realize why he is confused.

 _Bogo Calling._

I take the phone from his hand, and answer the call, watching Nick nervously as I answer.

"Hello?" I say quietly.

"Ah, so you are still out there, aren't you?" Bogo's voice answers.

I nearly drop the phone in shock, but don't, not wanting to wake up Avery.

"Bogo? You're..."

"Yes, Judy. I'm more alive than ever".

"How can you see? We saw you get your eyes clawed out..." I reply.

"That's alright. My sense of smell has increased ten-fold, and I have other ways of seeing. Trust me." Bogo replies.

"You're still one of them, aren't you?" I ask uneasily.

I hear him laugh to himself.

"One of _them_? So, tell me this Judy, are you _not_ one of us?" he asks evilly.

"Well..." I realize the danger of the situation.

"Don't worry Judy, it's not so bad to become one of us. I'll find you soon, and then we can begin your _initiation"._

I hang up the phone swiftly, and sit in silence.

Nick sits close to me, and speaks to me in a comforting tone.

"Don't worry about that. Let's get some rest" he says.

"Yeah, we can't stay awake forever".

Nick lies down, and he acts a bit surprised when I lay on top of him, cuddling into the warmth of his body.

"What am I, your pillow?" he asks jokingly.

"You mean a lot more to me than a pillow, Nick".

He chuckles and replies with a yawn.

"Good to know".

Even though I feel unsettled because of the phone call, I fall asleep in mere seconds in Nick's arms, and I'm pretty sure I have a goofy smile on my face as we sleep.

 **8:46 AM**

I wake up feeling re-energized, and even more so when I recall that I'm in Nick's arms. I don't dare move; feeling far too happy where I am now to interrupt this.

The sunlight is gleaming through a small crack in the cellar doors, symbolizing that this is a new day.

 _Yeah, but it might get worse._

I lie in bliss, trying my best to forget about the loss of my parents, which still hasn't exactly registered in my mind. Well, none of this really has.

I try to forget about the way that these creatures are changing. There seems to be multiple stages of sickness, it seems. First, uncontrollable rage, which leads to extreme violence. Next, the victim recovers their mind somewhat, and learn to work together with others of the same type. Two questions remain: Why do they hate non-infected animals with such a passion, and what comes next?

I think back to animals like Clawhauser and my parents, thankful I didn't have to see them in such a disturbing light. Yes, they may be dead, but I can't imagine seeing my own parents sprinting towards me in an attempt to murder me. That disturbs me much more than the thought of simple death.

Come to think of it, I don't really fear death that much anymore. However, I hate the thought of leaving Nick here alone in this world, or vice versa. Being here alone, without Nick...I don't know what would happen, and I don't want to think about it either.

I ponder quite a bit about what could have caused this.

Could it be mind control? An actual disease? Demonic spirits?

I'm not much of a science geek, but I would like to know before I die. I want to know what suddenly sent the world tumbling into a pit of fire; what destroyed everything I used to know.

But yet another question remains unanswered: How does Avery know how to talk to them?

Nick begins to shift under me, and he opens his eyes slowly, and I stare into them.

"Well hello there, Carrots" he says teasingly, as I roll off of him, laughing.

"What time is it?" he asks.

"Almost nine. We should probably get moving before they are able to pinpoint our scent" I suggest.

"Yeah" he states, sitting up, "Don't think I'd like being stuck in a storm cellar with a psychotic Bogo".

I wake Avery up as gracefully as possible, and we begin packing our blankets and gear.

"Can't we just find an island to live on?" Avery suddenly suggests.

"Now _that_ would be funny" Nick says.

"Not like we have any better options" I state.

"It's better to be on the move constantly. We can't give them an opportunity to corner us or something. An eternal road trip, I guess you could say" he says.

"Yeah, I guess. Having our own island would be pretty nice, though" I say.

"We could even name it Jickery Island. That's _all_ of our names combined!" Avery states.

"Okay, let's not get too far ahead of ourselves" Nick says.

We leave the shelter with caution, observing the outside premises before stepping out into the open, and back to the car.

Before we know it we're on the road again, Avery listening to music in the back seat, singing his lungs out, much to Nick's dismay. We enter a very hilly geographic location, mountains in view a few miles ahead. Hopefully the popular of infected dwindles, as not that many people live in the mountains.

"Great. Windy roads" I mutter, recalling how nauseous they tend to make.

"I feel ya, Cottontail. They aren't too much fun for me either" Nick replies.

"Drive slow, please. Not too slow though" I request.

"Sure thing, captain" he replies.

"I ship you guys so much" Avery states in a gleeful tone.

" _What?"_ Nick and I both ask, not quite familiar with the term.

"Hah, never mind. Just keep doing what you're doing" he says, adding a wink in Nick's direction.

"Alright, weirdo" Nick replies dully.

I decide to change the topic.

"There's a grocery store up ahead, anyone tired of eating the same thing everyday?" I ask.

"Yeah, but that'd be risky" Nick says.

I glance at him irritably, and he continues.

"But risk is okay when you live in a post apocalyptic world, I guess".

We pull into the parking lot of the grocery store, and into a scene very similar to the one at the bakery in Zootopia. Decaying body parts are lying around the parking lot, and several cars still sit, doors still open, as if someone just had to make a run for it.

"So, I just wait here?" Avery asks.

"Yeah, and if we don't come back...well, don't think about that. If infected try to ambush you, just take the wheel. We'll try to be quick" I say.

"I have only one request; please get some ice cream" Avery says.

"If we make it out okay, we will bring some ice cream. How does that sound?" Nick asks.

"Good. Very good" Avery says, his eyes closed and his face boasting a huge grin.

We shut the car doors, and approach the ominous store.

"Kid really likes ice cream, I guess" Nick mumbles.

"Yeah, but who doesn't?" I ask with a grin.

"Losers" Nick answers with his smirk I've come to know so well.

Our minds neglect the random body parts scattered across the lot, and we saunter through the sliding doors of the market, quite on edge. We observe the immediate area, but see nothing of interest besides blood, a bone or two, and decaying flesh.

"I guess whatever was here is gone now" I say.

"Funny how it was surrounded by food, but it decided to eat people" Nick says with a laugh, as I look at him with a bewildered expression, and his laugh slowly dwindles into awkward silence.

"I'm sorry that I find that funny" he says.

I roll my eyes with a smile, as we walk through the aisles of the store, searching for any and every food we need.

"Hey! Look at this!" he says, holding a box of tissues, "We'll definitely need these".

"Yeah, for sure" I say, having learned to smile at misery.

In the end, we buy quite the load of groceries. No infected are anywhere in sight; only various corpses.

 _Enjoy the peace,_ I say to them in my mind.

 **Nick POV**

 _Oh, the sight of so much food...it's glorious._

Judy and I push the grocery cart back to the car, chatting about various topics. We place the grocery bags in the back seat of the car beside Avery, who grins wildly after I give him an ice cream cone with chocolate ice cream. Luckily, the store had an ice cream machine with ice cream that hasn't melted quite yet.

"You know, this isn't too bad of a life, considering everything around us" I say as Judy drives, giving me a break, as we all eat our ice cream.

"It could be a lot worse, right?" Judy asks rhetorically.

"Imagine if we didn't have each other. We'd all be either mush or zombies" Avery adds from the back seat, feasting on various foods, which I _specifically_ told him not to do.

"Very true" Judy replies.

I go to my phone camera, and change the camera to inner, holding it in the air.

"First post-apocalypse selfie?" I ask.

After taking the picture, I look back through my camera roll, at the life I used to know. Before any of this began. Even before Judy.

I notice, however, that I look much happier in the picture taken just moments ago then a picture taken three months ago. In one picture, I had nothing except for Judy, and in the other, everything _except_ Judy.

 _She really is everything to me._

It's quite shocking to me, honestly. I remember telling myself that I would _never_ let anyone get to me, or see my true feelings. I laugh at how differently I feel now. Removing my walls and letting Judy in is the best thing that could have happened to me. She...she keeps me going. In this world, you need a reason to survive. Judy happens to be my reason to keep trying, and keep fighting the things holding me back in life.

My mind swiftly exits my former euphoria, and I notice a car ahead of us.

"Nick? Is that what I think it is?" Judy asks me.

"Looks like a car to me" I say, in partial disbelief.

"Remember though, it could be people that have been infected for a while" Judy adds.

"We'll never know unless we see for sure" I say.

We speed up, gaining on the vehicle ahead of us, proceeding with caution.

Avery speaks as we speed up.

"What are we, in a race or so-"

He notices the car ahead of us.

"Ah".

The car ahead of us begins to slow down, obviously noticing us.

Now only mere meters from the car, Judy speaks.

"Here goes nothing".

We stop beside the car, and a middle aged pig steps out of the drivers seat, looking quite normal.

Judy and I exit the car, overjoyed to see another surviver to identify to.

"Hello there!" he says in a clear and polite voice.

"Nice to see another friendly face" Judy says.

"I saw you in my rearview mirror and I trusted you weren't one of _them_. They don't drive as far as I know" he says.

"They're getting smarter, though. Over time they seem to change from mindless savages to intelligent savages, for whatever reason" I inform him.

"Really? That's not good" he states.

"So, where did you come from?" I ask.

"East Coast. There's no way I'll ever go back there. I'm traveling west, just hopin' that maybe by the time I get there...they'll all just die off, I guess. They can't live forever".

"We came from Zootopia, so East Coast also" I respond.

He nods.

"The name's Kurt" he says, holding out his hand for a handshake.

We both shake his hand, and I notice Avery watching with concern from the car.

"You guys headin' west too?" he asks.

"I guess you can say...we're going wherever the road takes us" Judy responds.

"Sounds...fun" he responds, sounding a bit...devious.

I glance at Judy for reassurance, but she gives me a similar, uncomfortable look.

"Um, well we will be going. We have a long way to go until our next stop, and we can't waste any time" I say.

He laughs, almost evilly, and looks at us as if he knows something we don't.

"You can go, _after_ I get what I want".

 **Judy POV**

Abruptly, another pig comes out of nowhere, aiming a gun straight at my heart, as Kurt aims his own gun at Nick.

"Whoa!" Nick yells, putting his hands in the air, as do I, "We don't need any trouble!"

"Neither do we" Kurt says gravely.

"No, give us all your weapons, food, and anything else that we would want" the other pig says.

"Get out of here before it's too late. This isn't going to end well for you" I say in a threatening way.

The pigs laugh vigorously.

"You really are a dumb bunny" he speaks.

I reach for my gun as they laugh, but he suddenly fires into my leg, causing a burning pain to overtake my body, and I fall to the ground in agony.

"Try anything else and I kill you" he says to me as tears fill up my eyes, and the pain worsens.

Nick looks at me for a cue to try and take them out, but I know as soon as he reaches for his weapon they will end us both.

I shake my head to silently answer his question, and he stares back at them in genuine rage.

"So, are we going to have to do this the hard way?" they ask him.

"No" he says angrily.

"Well then, lead the way, Foxy".

Nick sneaks a wink at me, and I don't quite catch the meaning behind it.

Kurt follows Nick at gunpoint as he walks to the car, and the other pig stands beside me, pointing his gun straight at my brain in case I were to make a move.

"Why are you doing...this?" I ask, shaking in pain.

"We don't have a choice" he says, his grip on the gun tightening.

"There's always a choice" I reply.

Then, the shots rang out.

I watch Kurt collapse to the ground, and the pig beside me adjusts his aim to the car. However, he is too late.

His head explodes, brain matter and skull fragments flying in all directions.

As the two pigs lie, dead, I realize.

 _Avery killed them._

Nick gives him a high five, thanking him for saving our lives, as well as our supplies.

"Nick! A little help here!" I yell to him, my leg bleeding profusely.

He sprints to my aid with a cloth from our first aid kit.

"Carrots! You okay?" he asks.

I move my hand to show him the heavy breathing, and he gasps.

"You're gonna be alright...just let me..."

He places the cloth around my wound, and I wince in pain. He proceeds to wrap medical tape around the cloth, and helps me to my feet.

"I'm really sorry this happened. I thought when his gun went off...I thought he was going to kill you" he says, looking quite scared at the thought.

"It's okay Nick, I'm still here" I say, hugging him, and ignoring the pain.

I limp back to the van, Nick helping support me and fall into my seat, cringing.

"You alright, Judy?" Avery asks me innocently.

"Yeah, I'll be okay. You have a good aim, by the way" I say.

"Thanks. I didn't have a choice...I can't make it out here without you guys".

Nick runs back to the van to take anything we may need for later on, and I glance at our surroundings. Nothing but fields. Come to think of it, it's been a while since we've come across a big city. I guess Nick is purposely avoiding them due to the large population.

 _Duh_ , I tell myself.

"Nick really cares about you" Avery says unexpectedly, "I can just tell".

I blush a bit, and respond as I watch him search the vehicle.

"I know he does. I...I'd give my life for him" I say with a smile.

"Wow, that's strong" Avery says in wonder, "I wonder if I'll ever find someone who loves me that much. Someone that loves me as much as I love food".

I can't help but laugh at the child's words, the pain in my leg no longer mattering to me. Nick finally returns to the car, holding some more blankets and several bottles of water.

"Did I miss something?" he asks, noticing our laughing.

"No, nothing" I say.

"Aww, were you talking about me?" he asks with a flirty expression, knowing better.

"Maybe" I respond.

He sits down beside me, showing me some more various objects he found in Kurt's car. He shows me a newspaper from two days ago, and tells me that it will be the last newspaper edition that will ever be made.

"It's awesome that we have it, but sad because you know...it's the last newspaper" I state.

"Yeah. I mean, the last newspaper could have come out six years ago and no one would have noticed. Who reads these things anymore?" Nick asks.

We continue down the highway, leaving the corpses in the dust. My heart rate slows down again, and I get comfortable, leaning on Nick again, unable to help myself. Avery watches me, winking at my teasingly so often, at least until he eventually falls asleep. At this point I don't really care who sees Nick and I being _romantic_ or whatever. It's just natural to me now.

I listen to music playing through my earbuds, and rub my leg gingerly, the swelling becoming more noticeable.

"So, Carrots, I have a question for you" Nick says.

"Ask away, Fox" I reply.

"I want to know when..."

I know what he's going to ask before the words leave his mouth.

"You started to...you know, fall in love with me".

I decide to be honest with him.

"I guess it was after you kept me that job that night when Bogo asked for my badge...it just made me feel different. I think that's when I first started liking you that way".

"Really? Its been that long?" he asks with a teasing grin.

"Yeah, I guess so. What about you?" I ask him.

"Hmm..." he mumbles, "I don't know if there's a particular time. It just happened over time. After a while, you were just _irresistible_ to me" he says, tickling my side playfully.

"That's...that's really sweet" I reply.

"Maybe I should be a poet" he replies with friendly sarcasm.

Then, something strange happens.

Avery awakes from being asleep once again with a scream, and Nick stops the car.

"What's wrong?" I ask him.

His eyes are wide in fear.

"I heard it in my dreams...it...it told me"

"What did it tell you?" Nick asks, quite concerned.

"It told me that it's coming for me, and that we can't run forever. It says that we can't escape it" he replies, recalling the nightmare.

"Well, it was only a nightmare" I say in attempt to calm him down.

"But...it felt so real" he claims honestly.

"Sometimes, nightmares feel real. I promise we won't let any of those things catch us" Nick tells him.

Something deep down about what Avery said disturbs me, though. It almost gives me a certain feeling of premonition, hearing the words echo through my mind.

 _You can't run forever._

 **Things are starting to get interesting, huh? Nightmares with voices are never really a good sign for the future, are they? Lot's of dialogue that chapter, I know, but I want you guys to get to know the characters even better. Anyways, thanks for reading! Please leave your thoughts in the reviews, and thanks for reading! Until next time...**


	8. The Walls

**Alrissa- I know what you mean, and it's obviously a complicated matter. I would state it more as "The Nighthowler plant was just a way to speed up the process, and that they have yet to find a true cure for whatever is going on. Don't worry, there will be a truer explanation when all is said and done. I would never spoil anything. I understand why you would dislike the complicated nature, but all will be revealed in the end.**

 **ThisGuyRightHere- I guess you could say that Ellie and Avery draw similarities, and glad you're enjoying it!**

 **Zootopians- Thanks, and will do!**

 **SparkleyUnihorse- Glad you liked it!**

 **CipherFiveZero- Happy that you are enjoying it, and yes, it does have some similarities to The Last of Us (Love that game, by the way).**

 **daboss12349- Thank you! And yes, it is quite frightening, isn't it?**

 **1-800fangirl- Appreciate it! I also agree that Avery does have a sibling-y feel.**

 **Thortox- Just don't get 2 spookd.**

 **Man, I'm having a lot of fun writing this. Thanks for the reviews, favorites and follows! Well, don't let me keep you waiting. Enjoy chapter eight!**

 **Nick POV  
** My phone reads: _1:22 PM_ as I plug it into the cigarette charger to charge it a bit.

"Nick, we need to stop soon. I can't stand being crammed in a car...this much" Judy says frustratingly.

"Yeah, let's do something fun!" Avery suggests.

I wish I could mention that every time we exit the car, we are risking our very existence, but I don't crush the child's dreams.

"Would I like to do something fun? Yes, yes I would" I say, "But you guys have to think of an idea or something. We can't just get out of the car and do jumping-jacks".

I hear Judy giggle at the thought, which brightens up my soul a bit. She's been _extremely_ happy for someone who just lost their entire family. Perhaps it still hasn't registered in her mind fully.

Ahead, I see a few buildings, indicating a small town.

 _There's probably more of those goons around_ , I tell myself.

"I have an idea!" Avery says, and I roll my eyes.

 _Probably going to suggest a picnic, or something completely inconvenient and unfitting to our current predicament._

"Let's climb that hill over there and have a picnic!" he says.

"Wait _what?"_ I ask, the thought stolen straight from my mind.

"That seems like an alright plan, as long as we park the car nearby and bring our weapons and stuff" Judy says.

"What do you say, Nicky?" Avery asks.

"Sure" I say, still suspicious of Avery for practically reading my mind.

We park the car at the top of a grassy hill overlooking the once active town, which contains no one alive yet again; only corpses.

 _What a sight to have a meal to_ , I think to myself.

We place one of the blankets of the ground, and I help Judy into a comfortable sitting position, her leg still very much injured.

"Having a picnic while overlooking a town full of dead bodies with my two favorite people" Avery says, "Cross that one off the bucket list".

We eat slowly, embracing the rare peace outside of the car, as I check my social networks again. I search #survivor and #help as well as many others that correlate to our lives, but don't find much. A few intriguing posts with actual survivors catch my attention, and I leave a comment on each telling them that they aren't alone. I sit beside Judy as she scrolls through her photos, stopping on a picture of her with her parents.

I see a tear fall from her face into the grass, and I gaze at her in wonder.

 _Is she going to break?_

But she simply wipes her eyes and moves on to the next photo. She misses her parents, but at the same time isn't letting them hold her back.

I then stumble upon a disturbing sight: a recent post from Bogo.

"To all fellow brothers: you will join me in leadership of our faction if you can find these two people, alive or dead". The post includes a picture of Judy and I. So, they're actually giving a reward for whoever can kill us? This is getting interesting.

I show the post to Judy, and she notices the comments, all reading the same thing.

 _Yes, boss._

There are 290 of these comments from many different types of animals, including someone I used to know: Finnick.

 _So he's not dead after all...he's worse than dead._

"Isn't Finnick that guy you used to "crime around" with?" Judy asks me.

"Yes, he was" I answer, "But I guess it was a few days before all this started...he broke into my house, asking for a loan of money. I mean, what did he _think_ I was going to say? I mean, the guy broke into my house. He wouldn't take no for an answer, but I didn't budge. He started teasing me about being a cop and all, and I told him to get out before I arrest him. I ended up having to use my taser on him, so I'm sure he's out for my blood now, just like the rest of them".

"Wow" Judy replies, shocked I hadn't told her before.

"Yeah, I don't miss him much, honestly. We were partners in crime, but we didn't actually, you know, _know_ each other" I inform her as Avery eats gluttonously.

"I know what you mean. I used to have friends like that in the past that are probably as good as dead now" she states.

I nod.

At this point I would think that perhaps two thousand people or so in the country are still normal, and fighting for survival. Not just survival, but fighting to keep their souls it seems.

"So, there's something you probably should know" I say to Judy.

"Yeah?" she answers.

I briefly glance at Avery to make sure he isn't listening, and I speak to her.

"When I was killing that infected thing...I started to lose control. I heard voices, just like he did" I say, gesturing at Avery, "It told me that I was weak. It told me that I can't escape".

"What is it with the voices?" Judy asks.

"I'm not sure. I'm not sure how we've made it this far, either. I mean, shouldn't we be infected by now? It's supposed to spread crazy fast, and we've been around infected people; touched them, even. But here we are" I finish.

"Strong immune systems?" Judy suggests.

I squint my eyes in thought.

"I don't know. Maybe hallucinations in the form of voices is a sign you are about to turn or something" I say.

"But Avery is fine. Heck, he can even talk to the things" Judy says.

There's a brief silence as I think to myself.

"Something...just doesn't add up" I mutter.

I glance over at Avery, still gorging himself on food, sitting in his blue T-shirt and jeans that contain quite a few rips and tears, his light brown eyes full of excitement. He looks no different than we did when we met him, not looking shaken or disturbed at all.

 _Something is weird about this kid,_ I tell myself, _and it's only a matter of time until it shows._

I notice a dead bird just beside of the trees to my left, and walk over to it.

"Nick, something wrong?" Judy asks.

"No" I respond, crouching beside the animal, "But I've found something".

I see the growth on it, and the eyes still opening, a deep shade of red. The muscles of the animal are expanded much more than a healthy flex, and the talons contain blood, indicating its former hostility.

 _This bird is infected, but what killed it?_

No blood is visible, and the bones don't seem to be broken in any way. I stare into the eyes closely, studying the mysterious scarlet shade of the iris, looking into the eyes of pure evil. It gives me shivers down my spine the longer I stare, and I question myself:

 _Why are you standing so close to an infected animal?_

 _Well, it hasn't had an effect on me yet, and I've even been touched by infected animals._

Regardless, I back away, contemplating to myself.

"Is it...infected?" Judy asks, keeping her distance.

"I think so. I don't know many _normal_ animals that look like _that._ Well, except maybe pre-apocalypse Bogo" I respond with a laugh.

"I actually kind of miss Bogo yelling at us every day over the littlest mistakes" Judy replies, beginning to pack the picnic.

"Guess you could say that" I respond, "But now he, you know...kind of wants to either kill us or make us devilishly evil. He still hasn't made it clear which one he would prefer".

Before we know it, we're back on the road again. We pass a line of cars, sitting still since yesterday I presume. The doors have been ripped off of some, and blood is everywhere. Not too hard to imagine what happened here. We spot a few corpses here and there, some ripped apart, some simply lying motionless in a pool of blood.

" _You are now leaving Garretville"_ reads a sign.

"Garretville?" Avery says, "That's where my mom moved after she got in a fight with my dad".

"When's the last time you saw her?" Judy asks him.

" _Way_ long ago" he says in his usual squeaky tone, "Like when I was one or two. I can't really miss someone that I never knew".

Judy looks at me, knowing exactly what I am thinking about.

"I don't miss my dad at all" I state bluntly and honestly, "If he's dead, who cares; same thing if he's alive".

Judy stares at me, shocked by the dark, uncaring nature included in my words. I know she understands, though, but I know I've brought up a touchy subject. I forgot about yesterday in Bunny-burrow for a few minutes.

"I wish I could have my parents back" she says numbly, "Just not in this world".

She breathes in deeply, beginning to comprehend the death of her parents more and more with each minute. She sits close to me as I drive, and I try to hug her to relieve some of the pain.

"No hugging and driving, Nick" she says, forcing a light smile.

I glance down at the speedometer.

"I'm pretty sure we could survive a car crash at this speed" I say jokingly.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah" Judy replies, taking hold of my right hand.

"No holding hands and driving" I say teasingly.

"You shouldn't be complaining" she responds, blushing.

I see Avery using his cell phone to video the entire scene, and I glare at him.

"What exactly are _you_ doing?" I ask.

"I'm recording this so I can make a romantic compilation video of your best moments!" he answers nonchalantly.

 _This kid cannot be serious._

"Okay..." Judy answers.

"Would it be offensive if I start calling you "Sea Urchin"?" I ask him.

"What's a sea urchin?" he asks.

I slap myself in the face in frustration.

 _This kid knows what a romantic compilation video is, but not a common ocean animal._

"Just...never mind. But stop it with the _stalking...please"_ I say.

"A short break won't hurt. Plus, I need you guys to be genuinely _in the moment_ again".

I roll my eyes once again, and glance at a passing sign.

 _Los Animales- 270 miles_

"Have we already traveled that far?" Judy asks, noticing the sign.

"Guess so" I respond.

I feel like I have taken the two animals with me for granted. The more we continue down the road, the more we get to know each other, the more I can't stand the thought of losing either one of them. Yes, even Avery, that little fuzzball.

We decide that we should reach Los Animales by nighttime, so we continue down the long road ahead. Perhaps the west will be even worse than the east, and perhaps it ends up causing our deaths. The hope, however, keeps us moving. The hope that maybe there is some place that the disease has spared; somewhere we can finally escape the monsters currently pursuing us.

However, my gut tells me that there is no escaping the threat before us. Something tells me that this is more than it seems.

Suddenly, I notice something strange up ahead, in a clearing surrounded by trees. A large wall, perhaps 20 feet tall encircles a town, I suppose. I mean, what else could be surrounded by protective walls?

"Whoa!" I say in shock, slowing down the car.

"Is that.." Judy begins.

 _So there are other survivors out here._

We pull up to the large gate, still wary of a possible trap, the walls lit with torches. Large turret guns surround the perimeter, awaiting any threat.

"Well, they're prepared, obviously" Judy says, "But then again, it could be a colony of those things".

"Avery, you stay here. We're going to go sneak and see if this is actually a...normal community" I say.

"Whatever. Just yell if you need me to save your life again" he says with a cheesy grin.

We open the doors quietly, watching the turret guns with caution. They don't seem to be active, much to our luck. I peer through the crack in the gate, and witness a joyful sight: Around fifty normal people, living a normal life. I see people smiling, laughing, eating, dancing. It seems almost _too_ harmonious. I give a thumbs up to Judy, and she grins.

Abruptly, a booming voice comes over a loudspeaker.

"Identify yourself!" the voice commands.

"Officer Nick Wilde of the ZPD" I say.

"Officer Judy Hopps, also ZPD" Judy states.

"ZPD?" the voice asks.

"Zootopia Police Department. We're normal people, we swear" I say.

"Zootopia, eh? All the way from the far east? Seems fishy" the voice responds.

"We're being honest" Judy says clearly.

"I'll be the judge of that".

The gates open, and I motion for Avery to get out of the car. The people watch as the three of us walk in with huge, welcoming smiles.

"Welcome!" and elephant says cheerfully.

"What's crackin', newbies!" a caribou says, peaking at us through his sunglasses.

The community seems well garnered, and I wave at them with an uneasy smile as we enter.

A lemur walks up to us, and speaks loudly.

"Follow me please".

"Where?" Judy asks, obviously a bit suspicious.

"We just need to make sure none of you are contaminated" she responds in a flat tone.

"Okay..." I respond.

We follow the animal into a small town hall, Avery yelling "hi" to anyone and everyone we pass.

Deep down, I really hope this turns out okay, and that this town could be our new home. But of course, the pessimist side of me overtakes my mind, thinking of all the terrible possibilities.

 _What if they are secretly robots or something? What if they want to eat us?Stop being silly, Nick, why would they want to eat you?_

 **Judy POV**

We sit on a bench at one side of the room, and the door closes behind us with a starling "slam!".

Nick looks at me in concern, and I gesture to the guns in our belts if we need to use them, to which he nods in understanding.

"I wouldn't try shooting me if I were you" the lemur says, obviously seeing my communication with Nick, "We're the only uninfected people within quite some distance, and we...work well together. Mess with one of us, you mess with all of us".

I squint my eyes at the lemur; not so much in aggression, but more like _daring_ her to be aggressive.

"So, I'm assuming that you critters would like to join our society" the lemur states.

"We have to talk about it bu-"

"I just need to ask you a few questions" the lemur interrupts, "Firstly and foremost, my name is Katrina".

"Katrina? What kind of name is that?" Avery asks, laughing.

"Watch it, kid. Everyone else might be unnaturally friendly, but I'm-"

"Just get on with the questions" Judy says impatiently.

Katrina looks at us with an annoyed expression, continuing where she left off.

"And this is the town of Duganville _. We-"_

Avery interrupts, bursting out laughing once again.

"Duganville? Ha! That's the dumbest thing I-"

He notices Nick and I staring at him irritably.

"Never mind, please keep going" he finishes, no longer laughing.

"Anyways, our town is named after our long time mayor, Mayor Dugan. The walls around the city have been there for quite a while, and have recently come to great use with all...whatever this whole zombie thing is" she continues flatly, "And by the way, I was just required to read that. I have only one test for you to determine if you contain any of...whatever has been infecting people".

"Okay" Nick and I respond nearly simultaneously.

"Look at this" she says, showing us a strange image depicting a man being torn to shreds, an agonized expression on his face.

I gasp, drawing the attention of Katrina.

"Something wrong, hun?" she asks bluntly.

"No, nothing" I reply a bit too quickly.

She starts with Nick.

"So, Fox, what do you see?"

"I see...a child being tucked away in bed, it looks like".

"Very good" she replies.

"What about you?" she asks, staring at me.

"Yeah, same thing. A child in bed" I say uneasily.

"Are you sure you're being honest?" she asks me.

I've never been one to lie well, but I have to manage now.

"One hundred percent" I respond.

"Alright, perfect" she responds, moving onto Avery.

"I see the same as them" he speaks.

She nods, setting the picture down.

"You all seem pretty normal. Enjoy your stay" she says simply, walking into a room, slamming the door behind her.

I begin to feel sick in my stomach, and my heart begins pounding.

"Nick" I begin, "I didn't see a child".

He looks at me, not knowing what exactly to say.

"What...what did you see?"

"I saw...I saw...let's just say it wasn't a child being tucked in bed" I answer uncomfortably.

"Don't fret over it, Carrots. She's just a loon. Those picture tests don't work, anyways" he says, trying to reassure me.

We sit in silence for a moment, until Avery breaks it.

"Well, let's go meet some people" he suggests.

"Yeah" I say, still slightly concerned over the image, "Might as well".

We walk outside, and take the time to talk to some of the townspeople; a giraffe named Chris that seems to be missing a leg, a lion named Tyrell that fought in a war, and even a mouse named Miranda that used to be a circus performer before she moved to "Duganville". The animals of the town are full of stories, and are all very open and outgoing.

On the contrary, Zootopian citizens kept mostly to themselves, so the change is quite drastic.

After a while of looking around the town, I discuss with Nick about the possibility of actually living here.

"What do you make of it?" he asks me.

"It has a...weird vibe. I don't know how to put it. Maybe it's just that we aren't used to normal people anymore".

He glances at his watch, which reads: _4:46 pm._

"It's only been a bit under two days since we last saw a functioning community. Maybe there _is_ something weird about this place" he says.

"I guess only time will tell" I respond.

 _Still, the image of the man being torn apart sticks in my mind._

Avery suddenly runs up to Nick and I frantically, not looking like his usual upbeat self.

"I heard it again!" he yells, sounding quite distraught.

"What?!" Judy asks him.

"He said that our time is almost up! He said..."

"What did he say, Avery?" Nick asks him.

"He says that we are a problem...and...that he wants us dead. He says he knows where we are".

My stomach sinks.

 _What is this voice, and why does he want us dead so badly?_

I don't doubt the voice for one second, though. If I witnessed this kid actually speak in a strange language to one of these creature, I better not doubt the fact that these voices are actually coming for us now.

I walk up to the zebra I am told is Mayor Dugan, and speak in a slightly fear-struck tone:

"Mayor! They know we are here!" I nearly yell.

Dugan simply laughs, turning away from his conversation with another official.

"Don't worry, little bunny. These walls are impenetrable!"

"Could they hold back an entire army of those things?" I ask, obviously not believing his claims.

"That's what they're designed to do. And what makes you certain that an army is headed our way?" he asks smugly.

I realize the potential danger of telling the truth. They might Avery is infected or something, seeing as he can talk to them, and hear their voices.

"Just...a hunch" I reply.

"Don't worry about it. There's no way in here" he says once more.

"A ladder?" Nick replies cynically.

"Well...they aren't smart enough to use a ladder anyways".

"Yes, they are sir" I argue, "They are becoming more and more intelligent for some reason. Trust me when I say they _will_ find a way in here".

"And you can trust me when I say there is _nothing_ to worry about. Now please, calm yourselves before you startle the citizens".

Above the chatter of the crowd, I hear a loud, demonic roar in the distance, but I reassure myself.

 _Nothing to worry about._

 **Ah, the classic secret society hidden inside of "impenetrable" walls. What a cliché thing to come across. Anyways, like I said, I'm having a ton of fun writing this, so expect this story to have plenty of chapters. Thanks for reading, and please leave your thoughts in the reviews. Until next time!**


	9. On The Run

**1-800fangirl- That could actually be a possibility for later on. And no, I can confirm Avery cannot read minds, lol.**

 **Darkwarrior860- Maybe you're just being paranoid ;D and thanks, I love intensity (as you probably can tell).**

 **MetalFox2013- Thanks, glad you're liking it!**

 **SparkleyUnihorse- Thanks, and will do.**

 **CipherFiveZero- ;)**

 **xPrimalHunterx- Less dusty though, lol.**

 **Welcome back, readers, to yet another update! Just for perspective, I am planning for this story to be 20-25 chapters. I already have the plot outlined, so I think that 20-25 chapters will fit the story well. I am a fan of sequels, though. ;D Anyways, enjoy chapter nine!**

 **Nick POV**

The uneasiness does not fade in any way between the three of us. Even the usually care-free Avery seems to be a bit uncomfortable with the mass of people, as he stands, biting his nails.

Maybe what Dugan said is true, and we actually _don't_ have a reason to be worried. However, taking the chance is not something I'm very content with.

We finally succeed in convincing the mayor to let us park our car inside of the city walls, in case a threat _does_ decide to show up and wreck our car or something.

Judy gasps in slight pain, as we exit the parked car.

"Something wrong?" I ask.

"Oh, I don't know. I only got _shot_ " she says.

"Oh, right" I reply, feeling a bit dumb.

"Anyways, so the plan is to stay here until we are sure that thing isn't going to show up, correct? I mean, at least we'll have a wall to protect us" she says, gesturing towards the massive stone walls.

"You really think a wall is going to stop them? If they want us dead so bad, they aren't going to let that stop them" I reply.

"Guess we'll find out, huh?"

Avery exits the car beside us, still looking quite unlike his usual self.

"Something is about to happen" he states simply.

I glance uneasily at Judy, knowing that the creepy statements spoken by Avery aren't exactly helping us settle down.

"Why don't we just get a head start? We can get back on the road, and at least buy us some time  
I suggest.

"We've been looking for people for so long, and we're just going to leave after an hour or two? That doesn't seem...right" she replies, "Let's just see what happens".

We walk around the small town some more, paranoid about some sort of sneak attack.

 _You never know_ , I tell myself.

We try some of the food in the town, which much to out enjoyment, actually is quite tasty. It's been quite a while since I've had real cooked food, not to mention the cheap price-tag.

 _Only forty cents for a cooked potato. Wow._

The minutes continue to pass, and nothing strange happens. Well, besides the obvious unnaturalness of the people around us, that is. Like I mentioned before, they seem _way_ to friendly to be legit.

As I eat, the thought plaguing my mind for the past few days continues to lurk in my consciousness. A very simple question, actually, that I cannot seem to be able to answer.

 _Why us? Why are we the only people that have been around infected people, yet still haven't shown symptoms. By all accounts, it makes absolutely no sense._

I look at my forearm, at the cut left by the monstrosity that attacked Judy and I in the alleyway beside my house. Well, my former house.

The cut appears just as normal as any other; hardly spilling any blood, even. No plant-like growths or decaying cavities, no signs of being anything other than a slice in my flesh. Interestingly enough, people of social media were saying being cut or bitten was a surefire method to land yourself in the life of a demon. I had one outburst that ended in brutal murder, sure. I heard voices in my head, telling me that I can't "fight it". But no, in no way am I infected.

"Nick, you alright?" Judy asks me.

"As long as none of those things come marching in here" I state.

"Well...as long as we both have each other, I'm fine with where we are".

I can't help but chuckle.

"That's the cheesiest thing you've ever said, Carrots" I say.

"It's true though" she says as she pokes me, "And you know it!"

"Do I know that?" I ask, "Yes, yes I do".

We can't help but laugh at the use of my interview-tactic in conversation, which seems to happen pretty often between us. I miss the days of being an officer with Judy. Our first case that we cracked also cracked open the shell that I hid inside for so long, and it made me feel needed for once. I guess the moment Judy handed me the contract...well, I could consider that the best moment in my life. That's the moment where I realized that Judy actually wanted me as her partner; someone actually thought of me so highly as to ask me to work with them not once, but _everyday._ And then the swing of emotions that happened so swiftly after Judy's interview. After losing her, it's safe to say I didn't want to live anymore. Well, that's until she came back to me.

 _Boy, am I glad she came back._

As I throw my potato remains in the trash can, I notice a bit of commotion stirring towards the front, center gate.

"What's going on over there?" I ask Judy.

"It's happening" Avery says in a haunting tone.

"Wait, what?" Judy asks him, "How do you know?"

"I...don't know" Avery answers.

We rush over to the crowd, as many of them run the opposite direction.

Upon arriving to the front of the crowds, I realize what all the commotion is about.

Bogo stands in front of the hoard of citizens, the huge gate in pieces behind him.

"Hello citizens of...eh, I don't care. I have only one request for all of you. Bring Nick Wilde and Judy Hopps to me" he says coolly, scanning the crowd, which immediately causes verbal chaos amongst them.

I slouch behind an occupied elephant along with Judy and Avery, hoping that we'll get lucky. I reach for my gun, but then realize a gun this weak probably won't have much affect on the huge body of Bogo; but regardless, I take it out, as it is all I have on me.

"Guess we'll have to do this the hard way, huh?"

He begins murdering innocent civilians in nauseating fashion, pulling some animals' spines clean out of them, decapitating others, and simply knocking others to the ground with his mallet like fists. Finally, the citizens notice us hiding, and point at us frantically.

"Ah!" Bogo says with a dark smile, wiping the blood from his hands, and he begins stomping towards us.

He is covered in the same diabolical growths as all the others, his eyes also glowing red. He seems to have grown a few feet, which puts him at well over ten times bigger than me.

We step out, guns drawn, to which he snickers.

"Go ahead, shoot! But remember; that only gives me the right to defend myself".

I don't pull the trigger quite yet, waiting for Bogo to speak again.

"Anyways, Officer Hopps and Officer Wilde, you're coming with me" he says.

"In your dreams! Well, if things like you _have_ dreams" I reply in a snarky tone.

"Foxes" he says, shaking his head, "Always gotta be difficult".

Some of the people he passed just moments ago begin falling to the ground, some convulsing, other vomiting. It's clear that this infection has spread to the townspeople, much to our horror.

"Wait, how do you have eyes?" Judy asks him.

"It didn't take long for them to grow back" he replies, still slowly approaching us.

"Just, Bogo, please...don't make us hurt you" Judy replies.

"Oh, trust me, rabbit, it won't be _you_ doing the hurting" he responds grimly.

He, now a few feet away, stops in front of us intimidatingly.

I feel Avery grab hold of my paw, obviously terrified.

"I don't want to hurt you" Bogo says, "But I'll have no choice if you don't listen to me".

"Liar liar, pants on fire" I reply with a smirk.

Bogo squints my eyes at me aggressively, but proceeds to lift his watch to his ear, and I hear a voice speak to him quietly, the words not quite audible.

"Okay" he responds into the device, putting it back down, and staring at us once more.

"What was that about?" Judy asks.

Before Bogo can reply, Mayor Dugan sprints up to me, ignoring Bogo, and holds his gun to my face.

"This is all you! You...you knew about this! You had it planned the entire time! You're infected too! This was all a trap!" he spits. I put my hands up, not knowing exactly how to react. However, my saving comes at the hands of the least likely soul in the vicinity.

Bogo simply backhands him with incredible power, snapping his head from his spine, decapitating him cleanly. His body falls to the ground in a heap of squirting blood and seizure like movements, the stripes on his body no longer black and white, but covered in crimson. Bogo picks up the gun, sticking it in his belt, for later use I presume.

"Now, come with me!" he commands.

Judy and I both sneak the same look, inferring a single word that we both knew without even speaking.

 _Run._

If infected people have any weakness, it's obviously reaction time. It nearly takes him a full second to realize that we've moved.

I carry Avery in my arms, wincing as his spines prick my arms with every running step I take.

"Sorry about that!" Avery says, as I dodge the infected citizens writhing on the ground.

"That's alright! We kind of have _bigger_ problems" I say quite literally, glancing back at Bogo, running only half the speed of Judy and I, yet I can still feel the ground shaking with every pursuing step he takes.

We reach the car, and jump in with utmost urgency. Finally, we catch a break.

Bogo stomps on the skull of one of the fallen citizens, causing him to trip.

We take advantage of the few seconds he is on the ground, plugging in the ignition, and stomping on the gas pedal as quickly as possible. I switch gears as I watch Bogo yell to us, realizing a chase is useless.

"You can't run forever!" he yells in rage.

"We can try!" I scream back as I start down the road, driving as quickly as I can away from him.

 _We actually escaped Bogo._

"How did he know we were there?!" Judy asks.

"I think I know" Avery states.

"How!?" I ask him as I continue driving west.

"I'm just kiddin'. I don't know".

I roll my eyes.

"Wasn't he like, in your mind or something? You knew he was coming. Remember, you warned us!"Judy asks, wincing from the pain of running on her injured leg.

"Yeah, but I don't know how Bogo knew we were there...unless he smelled his way to us" he says, looking deep in thought.

"I doubt he can track us over, what? The entire country? And how did he get here so fast? There's no way he ran all the way from Zootopia" Judy responds.

"Maybe he took his Bogo-copter" I respond, smiling to myself, quite amused.

Judy giggles too.

"What's so funny about that?" Avery asks.

"I dunno...just the idea of Bogo in a helicopter...just, never mind" I say.

"Anyways, if we're going to keep going west, we need to at least have some sort of a plan" Judy states.

"Very true" I say as we enter a deeply forested area, blocking much sunlight from making it's way into the car, forcing me to turn on the headlights.

"I mean, eventually we'll get to the ocean. What then?" she asks.

"We could go swimming" Avery recommends.

Judy and I both gaze over at him with judging looks, to which he nervously laughs.

"Never mind" he ends in a squeaky voice.

"Remember Avery's island idea?" Judy asks me.

"Sadly" I respond.

"Well, maybe if we find a boat, and a proper deserted island, that could work out, at least temporarily. Nothing in this world is going to be permanent from now on" she says.

"Yeah, but that would almost be asking to get cornered by ole' Bogo the buffalo" I reply, casually passing a stack of about ten dead bodies on the side of the road, which I don't pay any mind to.

"We might as well accept it now...eventually we're either going to have to...gee, I don't know, kill him. Either that, or let him kill us which I'm not too big a fan of" Judy says.

"So, you're thinking about maybe getting to an island a few miles out, that is if there is one, and maybe setting a trap so we can get him off our backs?" I ask.

"Exactly" she says.

"But why an island? Can't we just ambush him from anywhere?" I counter.

"Think about it though. On an island, there's only one way to get there. Either a boat, or swimming. Well, besides a plane. Which means-"

"There's no way to sneak up!" I say, "You're a genius Carrots!"

 **Judy POV**

 _Wow, we're actually doing this_ I think to myself.

After a lengthly discussion, Nick and I decide that if we can find a boat and its keys, we can use it to get out to an island. We've searched satellite images on the internet, and we've found a few that seem to be completely empty right off the coast of Los Animales, maybe a mile or two off the shore. Obviously, there's one major question: What about ocean animals? Well, I don't think we have to worry about the infection spreading through water and stuff, and the ocean animals tend to keep to themselves mostly.

"Can we name it Jickery Island?" Avery asks, ecstatic about the idea of our own island.

"No Avery. Never in a thousand lifetimes would I name an island "Jickery Island" Nick replies dully.

There's still plenty of preparations to be done, however. We need to pack the car with supplies, ammo, food, and whatever else we need. Not even that, but perhaps even bring even more food along with us on whatever boat we find. As Avery says: _"You can never have enough food"._

I change my bandage on my leg carefully, not surprised to see that it has swollen up even more since we sprinted away from Bogo. It doesn't feel like the bullet has damaged anything important, but the entrance and exit wounds still have a grisly appearance.

"Sorry that you...you know, got shot" Nick says.

"Could be worse, right?" I reply, ignoring the burning pain as I wrap the bandage tighter around my leg.

"Definitely" he replies.

I think back to the gunshot wound in my mother's head, and take a deep breath, trying to banish the memory from my mind forever, to no avail. The optimist side of me likes to come to life sometimes and tell me that perhaps my dad survived, and fought his way out, and is looking for me now. But even the optimist side of me knows that my mother never stood a chance. She was probably killed instantly, without a second to brace herself, or duck for cover. Compared to seeing her as one of those monsters, seeing her die painlessly is not to much to move on from; traumatizing when I think too much about it, yes, but then again, I barely get time to think too much about it. It really hasn't hit me yet, the fact that my parents are dead.

 _Gone forever._

 _Leaving me here alone._

 _Wait, you aren't alone. You have Nick._

 _Well, you're an orphan,_ I argue with myself mentally.

 _What if you never see them again?_

 _Don't worry about that, Judy. Of course you will!_

 _What if dad survived, and I just left him there?_

 _You had to escape._

 _What if you had saved him?_

 _There's no way._

 _There's always a way._

 _He was dying._

 _But not dead._

 _He was hopeless._

 _Yes, since you left him for dead._

 _He said it was his time._

 _How do you know that?_

 _He's dead._

 _What if he's alive? What if he kills himself looking for you? You would cause his death._

 _No!_

 _Yes!_

"He's dead!" I scream, bursting into tears.

"What?" Nick asks me.

"My dad, my mom. I'm an orphan Nick! They died!"

He stops the car, and immediately hugs me tight, as I pour out my heart.

"Shh, shh..." Nick tells me, trying to calm me.

My heart aches with an incredible pain that can't be soothed, it seems. My body trembles over the incredible loss that my mind has now suddenly taken in. An overwhelming feeling of emptiness; feeling like a part of me has been suddenly ripped from my body.

I feel so tragically empty inside, that is until Nick pulls me into a kiss, and my heart begins to beat even faster, my mind becomes clearer again, my breathing slows, and my feelings are shifted from one side of the spectrum to another.

"Thank you, Nick" I say after we separate, "You...always make me feel better".

"I know it's not easy losing people, Judy. Everyone in my life has left me, well except for you and pinecone" he says, referring to Avery, "So I understand the way you feel. I'm always going to be there for you".

I can't help but start crying again, overcome with emotions both good and bad.

He holds me tight against him, as Avery watches with genuine concern for me.

"It's okay Avery" I tell him, "It's nothing to be worried about".

After a good ten minutes, we continue down the road, myself a bit more emotionally stable. I can't stop sneaking glances at Nick, smiling to myself as I do.

I catch Avery trying to video us again.

"Are you seriously still working on that romance video?" I ask.

"Only need twenty more seconds of footage" he says, "So make it good. Just not _too_ good".

"Wait, _what?_ " Nick and I ask him simultaneously.

"Hah, I'm just messin' with ya again" he says.

 _Apparently we have ended up with the weirdest hedgehog in the world. But at least he keeps things interesting._

Suddenly, Nick begins to slow down.

"Anyone up for some shopping?" he asks, looking at a clothes store.

"Well, we don't exactly have any spare outfits" I say, realizing our lack of a wardrobe.

We park the car near the door in case we need a quick getaway, bringing our best guns in case we were to get into a sticky situation.

It's right about the time we get to the door that I hear a noise from inside the lobby of the store. We walk in slowly, contemplating whether this is actually a good idea or not. However, it is the sight that confirms my thoughts, and I struggle to speak.

"Hello, Judy" the fox before me says.

I can't believe my eyes.

 _It's Gideon Gray._

 **Gideon Gray, huh? What's he doing all the way on the west coast? And how did he "happen" to stumble upon the trio? I mean, what** _ **are**_ **the odds? Anyways, I appreciate the feedback, so please, keep it up! Thanks for reading, and please leave your thoughts in a review! I may or may not get chapter 10 up by tomorrow night, but most likely will. Just a warning in case I'm too busy. Until next time!**


	10. Dreams & Detours

**SAO Rifle Girl- You can never be _too_ dark. ;)**

 **SparkleyUnihorse- I'll roll with it lol.**

 **Alyssa Says Hi- They did say the Titanic was unsinkable. Same thing, lol.**

 **Thortox- Yep.**

 **crissy25- Thanks! It either means I'm a fast typer, or I have no life. You be the judge of that!**

 **1-800fangirl- No spoilers! And thanks, lengthy reviews mean a lot to me. And lol Jickery Island. Guess we'll all find out, eventually.**

 **Chapter Ten already?! Wow, how ten days fly by! Anyways, I don't have much to say. Enjoy!**

 **Judy POV**

"G-Gideon? What are you doing here?" I ask him.

"Just passin' through town! What about you guys? Whatcha' doin' all the way out here in the west? This ain't no place no bunny rabbit".

He sounds a lot like his old self.

"Looking for a way to..."

I look him in the eyes, seeing eyes that look completely normal, containing no red at all.

"Carrots, who are you talking to?" Nick asks me.

"What are you talking about?! He's-"

I turn back to Gideon, but he's gone without a trace. He simply vanished.

"...Gone".

Nick looks at me in a deeply confused way.

"You sure you're feeling alright?" he asks me.

I nod, still staring straight at the empty spot that Gideon Gray once occupied. How could he just disappear? Am I going crazy? Can he teleport or something?

"Yeah...let's...get to shopping" I say, still beyond confused by what I just witnessed.

As I look for clothes that actually fit me; both size and personality, I notice a trail of blood leading to the rest room.

 _Either there's a dead body in there, or...never mind._

Nevertheless, I keep my gun in one hand in case I need it, not taking any more risks after all the close calls of recent. It's impossible not to be on guard every seconds anymore and expect to live even a few more years.

"Juds!"

He holds up two shirts with two matching hearts, obviously meant for two people in a relationship.

"Don't even think about it" I say with a smirk.

"I know, I know. I'm kidding. Like, could you ever imagine me wearing something like this?"

"No, no I can't" I reply, continuing to search through clothing.

"This is _nice_ " Avery says, holding a t-shirt with a picture of a a piece of pie across the front of it.

"Aren't there better shir-"

"No" Avery interrupts Nick, "It's hard to find things in life better than pie".

"What about ice cream?" Nick replies with a confident look.

Avery points at him with an impressed look.

"You got me there".

If there's anything Avery can't live without, it would definitely be ice cream. The kid can't go five seconds without thinking of it, I'm sure.

Then, the serene atmosphere is interrupted once again. My ears raise up as I hear the sound of Gideon's laugh behind me, and I whirl around, only to discover nothing.

 _What was that?_

It very clearly was the voice of Gideon Gray, but once again, neither Nick nor Avery seem to take any notice to it. Is it his ghost? Is it all in my head or something?

I groan in frustration, turning back to the clothes rack. Can I not have one hour of peace? That would definitely be nice right about now.

"Something up?" Nick asks again, walking over to me, holding a stack of clothes.

I take a deep breath.

"I'm going to be honest with you...I keep hearing the voice of this fox I used to know. His name was Gideon Gray, and he and I, we...didn't have the best relationship. Last time I saw him he was acting much nicer, but I guess the fear is still there..."

"Hah!" Nick replies, "We've dealt with hoards of undead creeps, a delusional Bogo that looks like the Hulk, managed to take care of ole' pinecone" he says, glancing at Avery.

"So why should I be scared of some bully from my childhood?" I ask myself out loud.

"Exactly! Wait, you said he was a fox?" Nick asks me.

"Yeah. He's the one that caused me to feel uneasy around you when we first met" I reply.

"Well, that doesn't matter anymore, Carrots. We're the _best_ two cops in Zootopia, remember?"

I smile warmly at him, realizing his efforts to boost my confidence.

"That's right" I reply.

"I mean, chances are this Gideon guy is long dead" Nick adds.

"Or demented" I say.

Nick scratches his chin.

"You said you heard his voice?" he asks me.

"I saw him too" I reply.

"Sounds like something that would happen to Avery" he says slowly.

We both look over at the young, energetic hedgehog, bouncing down the aisle of clothes, singing a pop-song to himself.

"Yeah...it does" I say slowly.

Suddenly, an infected lion bursts through the front doors of the store, looking as savage as anything I can imagine.

I try to scream, but I can't speak. My legs will not work correctly.

Nick is no longer by my side, but attempting to help Avery from the creature, but his gun is jammed.

I am still mute as I watch the creature knock both Avery and Nick to the ground. My soul breaks into a million pieces. My body begins shaking, and I try to cry, but no tears stream down my face.

The animal sinks its fangs into Avery, as it scratches at Nick with vicious ferocity.

My feelings disappear altogether, and I feel like nothing more than a statue, watching with no emotion. I no longer even feel like a being.

I watch as Avery is eaten alive, smiling to myself now. Nick is covered in blood begging for me to do something. I laugh at him, and I only feel one emotion now: hate.

I _hate_ ****Nick, and I want to see him die. I want to see him burned. I want to see him in pieces.

"Carrots?" I hear, and I snap out of my daydream.

 **Nick POV**

Man, Judy has been acting weird today. _Too_ weird, even.

"Sorry" she says, looking very discomforted now; scared even.

"Something's wrong" I state simply, and with sureness.

"No, Nick. I'm just..."

"No, J. Something _is_ wrong" I say again.

She takes a deep breath, and closes her eyes.

"I'm just scared I'm going to become one of those things. I keep having dreams and stuff about all sorts of terrible things" she admits.

"Like what?" I ask.

"I don't want to-"

"You need to tell me, Judy" I say surely.

She looks at me with purely sorrowful eyes, looking as if she truly doesn't want me to know, but she continues anyway.

"About you and Avery dying...and me just watching...and laughing...and...it's terrible, Nick" she says, tearing up.

"Well, you don't need to worry about that. Remember what I promised you?"

She nods, burying her face into my chest as she cries.

 _Bunnies, so emotional._

 _Except this time she has an excuse._

"Hey..." I say quietly, "I love you".

She sniffs loudly, and forces a smile, gazing up into my eyes.

"I love you too, Nick. More than everything" she says, and I know she means every word of it.

"Yes!" Avery shouts, holding his phone, "Just got the last twenty seconds I need!"

We can't help but laugh at the child, as I hug her tightly one last time.

We walk out of the store with more than enough clothes, chatting with each other nonchalantly.

I toss most of our extra clothes into the back of the car beside Avery, which he happily accepts as a massive cushion.

Then, I hear the voice.

"Nick..." the voice says eerily.

"What?" I ask myself.

Suddenly, the voice sounds closer.

"I'm right here, Nick".

I turn to my right, and there I see the red figure, with bone-chilling red eyes, holding a baseball bat in one hand. It's my _father._

 _"No"_ I say out loud, "How...what..."

"I'm here to finish what I started. You can't live knowing what I did to you".

"What? No, I mean, I don't even remember! I had a dad? Who knew?!" I ask with a nervous chuckle, backing against the car.

"Time's up, Nick" he says grimly

I close my eyes and cover my face, remembering the familiar feeling of fists against my face. I prepare for the onslaught to ensue, but instead feel a pair of much gentler hands holding me.

"Nick! Nick! What's wrong?"

I glance at Judy with a terrified expression, but realize my father is nowhere to be seen.

"It...I saw him...my dad...I saw him"

"It's okay, Nick. He's not here" she says.

"It's happening to me too, Carrots. I saw him so clearly..." I drift off.

"We need to figure out why this is happening" she states simply.

The second I sit down in the driver's seat, the questions begin.

"What happened, Nick? Why were you screaming?"

Avery gasps in the middle of his sentence.

"Did you drop the box of _donuts?_ " he asks.

"What box of donuts?" I ask.

"The one we took from the front counter, remember?" he asks.

"Oh, that's right" I say, recalling the event from earlier. Apparently selling boxes of donuts in a clothing store is normal, at least here on the west coast. Avery couldn't resist, so he made me take one along with us. I guess a _few_ donuts wouldn't hurt much anyways.

We continue down the road, as Judy searches for any radio stations that may still exist, but her only answer is static. I think of all the things we'll never have again: TV, radio, internet, among other things. Still, though, the voice of my dad pierces my mind again as I recall the incident outside of the store. The way he said my name, sounding as if he wanted my blood in his hands...

 _Don't worry, Nick. It was just your imagination._

The hours pass with constant chatter from Avery, eating, singing, and of course, Judy and I have our moments. I stop for gas, and soon enough pass a sign telling us we are only 22 miles from the ocean, which shocks me. We've traveled across the entire country, which is quite the feat.

"This is the final stretch" Judy says with a anticipating grin.

"Let's just hope this island idea actually works out" I say, "Don't want to be out in the middle of the ocean with Bogo and nowhere to run".

"Trust me, Nicholas Wilde. This will work out" she says with a friendly smirk, "It has to".

We begin passing through the beginning of Los Animales, one of the largest cities in all of the country. Now is the time that we _will_ come face to face with numerous of the infected, and we have to keep our guard up every second. Our combat skills, survival skills, and everything else will be tested trying to get all of our stuff on a boat and out to the island.

 _Anything but Jickery Island_ , my mind tells me.

"And that's how my brother ended up with a raspberry up his nose!" Avery ends his story.

"Bravo" I say sarcastically, wishing I could forget the story I was just told.

"And he was okay after that?" Judy asks him.

"Oh yeah, he was fine. Trust me, Ty did a lot more crazy stuff than that. He was such a role-model" Avery states with a slightly dreamy expression.

"Was he still alive when all this started?" I ask.

The young hedgehog inherits a look of deep regret, staring out the window.

"No...no he wasn't" he says softly and sadly.

"What happened to him?" Judy asks.

Avery looks away from the window and at us.

"My mom told me he was in a car accident, but I don't think that's what _actually_ happened. He was really sad for a long time before that, and I saw him sleeping in his room, and I tried to wake him up. He didn't wake up, and I think he was already dead" Avery says, "So I left his room and didn't say anything. I thought I would get in trouble".

There's silence for a moment as Judy and I glance at each other as I drive, learning something new about our new companion every day.

"How did he die?" I ask without thinking.

"I think...I think he killed _himself_ " Avery mutters.

I feel a pang of sorrow for the child.

"Maybe that's why your parents told you he was in a car accident" Judy says.

"Because they didn't want me to feel like I wasn't enough for him..." Avery trails off.

"You're a pretty deep ten year old" I say.

"Yeah, I guess so".

We pass through the city going around seventy miles per hour, passing tons of corpses, stores, restaurants, and even a stadium or two.

I open my mouth to speak, but take notice of an object in the road. An infected elephant, standing square in the middle of our lane. I push on the brakes and jerk the steering wheel to get around it, which causes the car to flip as Judy and Avery scream.

We slide past the elephant, turned upside down, grinding against the pavement with so much friction that it causes me to cover my ears.

We finally come to a stop, still upside down; no one injured, much to my relief. However, I immediately begin panicking, knowing we are still at _least_ ten miles from the shore.

"Judy, grab your bag. I'll get mine, and Avery, you get the food bag. We _have_ to run" I say.

"What about my new clothes?" Avery asks.

"They're in my bag! Come on!" I say.

We creep out of the smoking car, Judy limping a bit on her previously injured leg. We watch the elephant carefully for any sort of movement, but it simply sits, motionless, in the middle of the road, breathing in and out deeply.

"Too bad we don't have insurance" I say, "Sure could have used it with mayhem like him".

I hold my gun carefully, as does Judy. Even Avery wields a pistol, there to save our lives if we need him.

"Which way is the ocean?" Judy asks me.

I point to my right, luckily the opposite direction of the bloated elephant.

We immediately begin walking that way cautiously, not quite mentally prepared for the journey ahead. We finally get a few blocks away from the creature, and we take a moment to catch our breath. The surroundings around me remind me quite a bit of Zootopia; the buildings, sidewalks, stores, lights, and even the numerous decaying bodies.

"How are we going to survive on an island with this much food?" Judy asks out of the blue.

"Good question" I say, "Guess we'll have to go with plan B".

"What plan B?" she asks me.

"I don't know. This was your idea" I say, somewhat accusingly.

"Oh, so this is my fault, is it?" she asks me, obviously angry.

"Well, I mean you did suggest _moving all our stuff to an island_ and trying to actually _live_ there" I say.

"Well, you didn't have to turn the car over! You could have turned a bit more gently!"

"And what, risk crashing into _that_ thing? I saved all of us, Fluff!" I argue.

"Gee, I don't kno-"

"Stop it!" Avery says loudly, wiping our argument clean out of the air, "If we're going to, you know... _not die,_ arguing isn't going to help anything!" he says.

Judy and I glance at each other, and I take a deep breath.

"Okay, sorry about that, Carrots. I don't know what came over me" I say.

"It's alright, and you're right, too. We need a plan B" she says softly.

We continue walking towards the ocean, staying alert towards anything that may potentially harm us. We hear roars and screams way off in the distance every few minutes, making us all the more on edge. The buildings loom over us in a manner that could formerly be considered innocent, but now feels more like giants looking down on us, waiting to squash us like the bugs we are compared to this unforgiving world.

 _No car. No family, a cell phone on 76%, limited food, and limited ammo, surrounded by monsters. Yet still, everything to lose in the world,_ I think, looking at Judy and Avery walking alongside me.

"Free gum!" Avery exclaims, peeling a piece of gum off of a railing.

"No!" Judy says, "That's just asking for "free disease"!" She says.

"Aw, come on!" Avery exclaims, as Judy pulls Avery away from the rail, holding his hand the same way a mother does with her child.

I laugh to myself, imagining Avery trying to live on the street like I started doing around his age.

Now _that's_ funny thought.

 **Avery POV**

 _Wow, the city sure is a weird place._

 _All my life, I've lived in the woods with my dad and brother, and now, here I am in Los Animales. Pretty crazy!_

As I bounce down the street beside Judy and Nick, I sing my current song: "Bold", which I think is pretty fitting right about this time.

A mean, how can a song about being brave in hard times be a negative thing? Apparently, Nick doesn't seem to argree.

"Please, Avery, for five minutes" he says tiredly, "For five minutes, could you stop the singing?"

I sigh for several seconds quite loudly.

"But I _like_ singing" I declare.

"We don't want to attract anything unwanted" Judy says, siding with Nick.

The sun still hasn't set, due to us being in the far west, in a different time zone.

I look at my phone for the time.

 _6:41 PM._

Bedtime isn't for a while.

"So, how long until dinner time?" I ask curiously.

"Whenever we come across somewhere not _asking_ to be murdered" Nick replies.

I sigh as my stomach growls for what feels like the thousandth time.

As Nick and Judy stop for a moment to inspect something on the ground, I sit on a bench for what used to be the bus stop, thinking to myself about all that's happened lately. I don't know what to call Nick and Judy, exactly. They seem to be my parents and my friends both at the same time, which is pretty cool to me. But boy, do I wish going to the shooting range with my dad and brother. Those were maybe the happiest times of my short life. Still, I feel obligated to be thankful for Judy and Nick, as they've protected me successfully so far. They've been like my new family, which really has gotten me this far.

I begin pondering a question that Nick asks a lot that always gets me thinking.

"Why aren't _we_ infected yet?"

I mean, there's no way we can be immune to it. We're three normal people; well, on the outside. We aren't special compared to everyone else in the world. And besides, we aren't the only ones left, either.

Still though, we've even been touched and cut by these things, yet we still look and act like normal people. It defies all reason, if you ask me. And usually not many people ask me, so I don't know what I'm on about.

Well, besides the voice that talks to me. Now _that's_ kind of weird.

"Okay, kiddo" Nick says to me, "We're stopping for a minute because Judy's leg is hurting. If you want some time to stuff your face, please do it now".

"Yes!" I say, immediately ripping into my backpack, pulling out as much food as I need...or _think_ I need.

"Just don't eat so much that you explode or something" Judy says with a laugh as Nick helps her change her bandage.

 _Aw, they're so cute,_ I tell myself.

I mash a huge cheese sandwich into my mouth happily, glancing over at a strange structure to my left.

"Guys, what is that?" I ask, pointing to it.

"It's a subway station" Nick answers, "And before you ask, a subway is an underground train".

"Wow!" I say, not having seen a real subway station until now. Well, besides the sub _restaurant._

"Judy? Remember when we got that train working back in Zootopia?" Nick asks.

"Yeah!" she responds.

"Well, I mean, we could try it now if you want" he says, "all the cars around are either out of gas or have a dead battery. Or don't have any keys available to us, so maybe-"

"Definitely! Let's give it a try" Judy responds.

"I finally will get to ride in an underground train!" I reply.

"Those zombie creeps will be a problem, though, of course" Nick says with a thoughtful look, scratching his chin with his claw.

"I'd rather risk that then continue walking the wide-open streets for four more hours" Judy replies.

Nick helps Judy to her feet, and I shove the last of my sandwich down my throat.

We walk over to the entrance, and peer down the staircase, seeing nothing but a pool of blood, and then darkness. The lights are completely out.

"Well, I guess we should get our flashlights out" Judy says in a nervous tone.

"Yeah" Nick says, staring down into the abyss in a shaky tone.

We begin walking down the stairs, as our steps echo into the darkness.

 _Is this a good idea?_

 **Is venturing down into a pitch dark subway line to find a faster way to the shore a good or bad idea? Your call. Anyways, I'm glad that this story is mostly getting good reception. It motivates me all the more to make the story as presentable as possible. I'm having a lot of fun with the character of Avery, by the way. Oh! And I bet I had you there for a second with Judy's daydream scene. I would never be** _ **that**_ **cruel. Or would I? Please leave your thoughts in a review, and thanks for reading! As always, until next time!**


	11. Four Corners

**1-800fangirl- I REALLY appreciate the long, thought out reviews. And you have a right to be worried about what is to come in the story. ;D**

 **Dagger- Thanks! And sorry for spoiling the movie- my writing (obviously) is quite dark, lol.**

 **Zootopians- True, true. And will do!**

 **Azalmega- I understand why you'd call it rushed, but I kind of intended for a lot of the story to be _very_ fast paced due to the quick nature of the "disease". Yes, Judy's parents were killed off pretty fast, but I just wanted to use that to 1) Show how quickly Judy lost everything and 2) I didn't want the audience to get _too_ familiar with Judy's parents because I didn't include them for that purpose. I would say they mainly serve to represent Judy's worries and regrets as she attempts to move on in life, in this harsh world. And thanks, I do love ending with cliffhangers! Thanks for reading!**

 **CipherFiveZero- The question is; was that actually Gideon, or just Judy's mind? Guess we will eventually find out.**

 **SparkleyUnihorse- The world may never know!**

 **Nick POV**

The darkness is front me reminds me of our current state of living; mysterious, eerie, and unknown. I can't help but think to myself negatively, envisioning the worst scenarios possible. The "Jickery Island" plan is already out, so what if this fails? What if this fails too?

 _What if?,_ my mind repeats as we slowly emerge ourselves into the darkness. The flashlight feels heavy in my cautious grip, and I feel as though I need Judy right beside me, not wanting to take the smallest chance of losing her.

 _Then why are we in a pitch-dark subway during the apocalypse?_

Avery is breathing loudly, much to my dismay, and I turn my head to him in annoyance, shining my light in his face.

"Avery, do you _have_ to do that?" I ask.

He squints his eyes, wincing from the bright light.

"Sorry, I'm just excited...but scared too...so I'm breathing all weird"

"You need to calm down. We can't afford to be heard from a mile away" I state.

He nods, and I point the light back down the steps, taking notice of a vending machine, and a sign for a recently released movie. Of course, I see trails of blood, and think nothing much of it. I'm much too used to it by now, and what else is to be expected in an eerie subway?

I take one last step, finally at the bottom of the staircase. The three of us stand, making no sound whatsoever, trying to listen to the environment as closely as possible.

A few metallic "clanks" and the echo of whispers and scratching sounds send shivers down my spine. Most noticeable however, is the sound of chains being moved, or dragged.

"There's definitely infected in here" I say with certainty.

"Not surprised" Judy says, loading her favorite gun to full capacity.

"You sure your leg is okay?" I ask her, gesturing to the still slightly swollen limb.

"Guess we'll find out" she says with a small smirk.

"What _is_ that sound?" Avery asks, referring to the chain-like sound.

 _Good question._

The more we emerge ourselves into the underground realm, the more discomforted I become. This is different than the claustrophobic feeling that I experienced in Bunny-Burrow; this almost feels urgent.

I want to stop and ask Judy how she feels about this, but we continue walking, shining our lights on anything we suspect could be a ghoul hiding in the darkness, which for Avery is basically everything.

"Ah!" Avery exclaims, pointing his light at a water fountain.

"Shh!" Me and Judy both say at once.

 _This kid is going to get us killed._

We eventually reach another staircase, and begin to see a separate light near the bottom, indicating civilization perhaps. The light looks much like torch-light, just from the ember-colored glow. I look at Judy for confirmation, but don't dare speak a word yet, holding my gun tightly.

The rattle of chains accentuates the more we move down the staircase, causing Avery to look quite terrified. Judy rubs his shoulder in attempt to calm him a bit, and he smiles sweetly, understanding the gesture.

Upon reaching the bottom, I see the source of light: a large bonfire in the middle of the tracks. I glance around for the origin of the rattling sound, but see nothing. There appears to be a train, although stopped, two lanes over, behind the fire.

"Whose fire is that, I wonder?" Judy asks.

"I don't know if we _want_ to know" I reply, scanning the room.

The sound of the chains resumes, sounding much closer this time.

Judy and I notice Avery staring in the direction of the chains, and we take a look for ourselves.

A huge, dark shadow moves towards us menacingly.

I don't waste anytime, immediately aiming at the being, not giving it a chance to strike.

"Wait!" it shouts in a deep voice.

The eyes of the large animal are not red, which is the only reason I do not shoot.

"I'm not infected! And I guess you guys aren't either".

I narrow my eyes at the animal, now revealed to be a large gorilla, wearing a red T-shirt with ripped jeans, it's muscles bulging in the dim light, wearing a chain necklace around his neck. His hazel eyes are full of undeniable fear.

"You make a move, it'll be your last!" Judy says sternly.

He puts his hands in the air in order to reassure us, stepping back a few steps.

"I promise I don't want any trouble!" he booms, "My name is Kade. I'm a survivor too" he states.

My discernment tells me he means no harm, but logic tells me to fire my weapon. After all, I think back to all of the creatures in recent memory that have almost caused our demise. Still, I can't bring myself to fire the weapon.

"Well, we're just passing through" I say, not able to trust anyone it may seem.

"Trying to start the train?" he asks knowingly, "Trust me, I've tried that. It's no good. I've been livin' down here the past few days hoping for either a quick death, or something good to finally happen. And, well, I stumbled across you guys" he says, sounding quite sincere.

I lower my weapon just enough to where the gorilla doesn't feel as threatened.

"And you want us to give you a quick death?" I ask.

His eyes widen a bit, realizing he needs to avoid any misunderstandings.

"No, no! I was _hoping_ I might could stick with you g-"

"No" I say, "Nadda, not happening" I interrupt, as Judy looks at me harshly.

"Nick!" she says scoldingly, "at least let him talk!"

I sigh, and motion for him to continue on reluctantly.

"I was hoping I could tag along with you guys. I know I'm...you know, an incredibly threatening gorilla that looks like he wants to kill someone, but honestly that's not me. I hate feeling all alone, especially in whatever kind of world this is" he says, gesturing at our surroundings.

"How have you made it this far?" Judy asks.

He places his hand under his chin supportively, as if he is recalling an event.

"Well, I haven't really been bothered down here. Had to fight off one of em' getting out of my apartment, but I haven't felt infected since then or anything like that. So, I decided to stay down here. Maybe they don't like being underground or something" he says.

"Come with us" Judy says comfortably, "We could use someone like you who knows the area".

"Where you guys headed?" he asks.

"We don't really know anymore. We were heading out to an island, but we lost our car in an accident" Judy states as I watch doubtfully.

 _There's no way this guy is actually legit_ , I tell myself.

"I have a car" he says, "I've been too scared to go up above ground to use it. I could definitely help you guys out, _if_ you agree to let me tag along, that is".

"Fine" I say, "But if you try one thing.."

"I promise I won't..." he trails off, motioning for a name.

"Nick" I say, "Nick Wilde".

"Nice to meet you. And you guys are?" he questions, looking at Judy and Avery.

"I'm Judy Hopps, ZPD" she says, until she realizes.

"Well, used to be" she finishes glumly.

The gorilla nods and looks at Avery, who seems to be distracted by a wrapper along the dark ground, poking at it with his finger.

He notices all of us staring at him, and turns to face us with a childishly confused look.

"Did I do something?" he asks.

"Tell Kade your name" Judy states, as we begin walking back up the stairs, Kade tagging along this time.

"My names Bobo Jackson Martin von Turner Smith Jr. III" Avery says jokingly.

"Wow" Kade says.

"Just kiddin'. I'm Avery. Avery Reeds!" he says, reaching out his hand for a handshake.

Kade shakes it with ease, as his hand is nearly twenty times bigger with a friendly grin on his face.

"Well, it's awesome to meet all of you" he says genuinely.

Now that I've gotten over my trust issues, he seems like an alright guy, being completely truthful. But still, a question remains: _Where are we going?_

We could go try to find a vault full of survivors, which probably wouldn't work out since no one outside of the doors can be heard from the inside, and staying underground...it's not exactly my thing.

Out of the blue, Avery lets out a shrill scream, causing all of us to jump in startled fashion. Judy stares back at him with an irritable gaze.

"Sorry...I thought I felt something touch me" he states.

I bend down and retrieve an empty can, once full of soup.

"You did. You felt a _soup jar_ touch you" I say bluntly.

Suddenly, we hear stirring up above us, and the pounding of footsteps. We hear the ear piercing roars of the infected, as well as the deranged laughs and cries. They've located us because of Avery's scream.

"Here!" I say, handing a gun to Kade, still not completely comfortable with handing him a fully automatic weapon. For all we know, though, we could all be dead in a few minutes anyway.

Several infected stare down the stairs at us, eyes glowing brightly. They seem to be in the mid-early stages still not able to communicate, but they seem to exhibit the capability to work cooperatively.

"We've made it this far" I say, "And we're not going down now".

We don't hesitate to open fire, as a few of the monsters at the front of the pack go down, howling in pain. An infected nearly reaches Judy, but Kade simply brings his fist down on the skull of the former wolf, crushing it's skull, and flooding the floor with it's blood and brain matter.

"I've always wanted to use this" I say with a anticipating smirk, holding some type of grenade that I found at Galvin's compound.

"Well, hurry and use it!" Judy says, reloading her gun as more infected begin swarming down the stairs. I pull the pin with caution, hoping the grenade doesn't malfunction and end up killing myself and Judy. Wouldn't _that_ be a way to die. I use every ounce of my strength to hurl it up the stairs and into the pack of lost souls in front of me, squinting my eyes as I feel a familiar heat hit my body.

I can think of nothing except a few nights ago, when an explosion of heat saved my life from the hands of...whatever that thing was. My memory of the whole event is fuzzy. The thought crosses my head: what if I had died that night? Where would Judy be now?

The explosion sends various limbs of the creatures flying at us, and Judy tucks her face into my side, not wanting to witness the sickening sight.

The smoke clears as I stare, wondering if anything survived the explosion. Avery cowers behind Judy, Kade and I, as we all watch in anticipation.

Finally, we can see up the stairs again, and see nothing but scattered body parts. Well, and also the torso and head of a dying infected, that attempts to choke out something as I approach it.

It stare down at it as it bleeds profusely from its mouth and nose, trying it's best to move towards me, possibly in an attempt to kill me. Its no use, though. The creature wiggles a few more times, and then stops breathing seconds later.

"Enjoy the nap" I say, truly meaning it. It nearly makes me happy to allow these souls to finally get some rest.

"Let's get out of here before more of them come" Judy says, stepping over an amputated arm.

We proceed up the stairs, evading the various limbs.

"So where are you guys from?" Kade asks, breaking the silence as we march up the stairs.

"Nick and I were living in Zootopia, and Avery was living a bit outside the city" Judy declares.

"And why did you guys come all the way here?" he asks curiously.

"We didn't if things would be any better" I say, "We thought anything would be better than Zootopia. Place was a complete madhouse before we left...well, isn't everywhere a madhouse now?" I ask.

The gorilla's eyes widen.

"This thing...it's global?" he asks.

I solemnly nod as we reach the top of the stairs, investigating the area. No other infected seem to have heard us; not even the explosion moments ago, interestingly enough.

"Yep" Judy says with a sigh.

"I can't believe it...my mom, she lives across the world. I thought she'd be safe..." he trails off.

"My parents thought they'd be safe underground" Judy begins, "But they were wrong".

We stand in silence for a moment, hearing nothing but the chirping of birds; possibly infected, and the slight rush of wind.

"Another depressing silence" Avery states.

"Better get used to it, kid" I say, poking his shoulder.

 **Judy POV**

Kade seems like a trustworthy person, at least to me. Nick is still acting a bit uneasy around him, which is to be expected. Nick, he's never been one to open up to people immediately. I guess I'm the opposite; I enjoy getting to know new people. I realize, though, that this could end up being the end of me.

As we walk the streets, Nick and I talk with Avery casually, but Kade still seems a bit distant. He's definitely not much of a talker, although he does seem relieved to finally find other survivors. I've known plenty of people like him; gentle, although his appearance is a bit frightening. He stands tall; around an inch taller than Bogo even, and his muscular form looks anything but innocent. But then again, I've learned not to judge people from the outside, or from stereotypes.

"I need to run up to my apartment to get my keys" Kade says, "I'll be quick".

I don't even have a chance to say okay before he sprints up the stairs of his apartment building, leaving Nick, Avery and I alone on the sidewalk.

"What do you make of him?" I ask Nick.

He tilts his head at me with a knowing look.

"You know exactly what I'm gonna say, Carrots".

"It's only a matter of time" I say, "that's what you're thinking".

He nods with a smirk.

"How right you are!"

"As always!" I say, smiling at him.

I walk right up to him and put my hands, pulling his head within reach, and I kiss him with all the passion I can muster. I don't understand the sudden urge to kiss him, but then again, who actually understands love?

Avery snaps a few photos of course, but it doesn't matter to me one bit. It's cheesy, I know, but really all that matters to me at this moment in time is the fox in front of me. Of course I still care about other people like Avery, but me and Nick are in our own world. A perfect world on a devastating planet; not something I'd ever expect to find anytime soon. But the moment; it's so true, so harmonious. My love for Nick is the only thing in my heart that will never burn out, and the one thing that will keep me up and going all the days of my life.

"Okay, I got my pics, you guys can settle down now" Avery says with a slightly uncomfortable expression, taking a step back.

We separate, realizing how long the moment lasted, both blushing a bit.

"Sorry" Nick says, scratching the back of his neck.

"It's fine, Nick. I liked it, you know. I mean we are _kind of_ a thing" I reply with a playful grin.

"Kind of?" Nick says.

"Well, fine. You know I love you, and I know you love me. So that makes us?" I ask.

"More than friends?" he asks me.

"Duh!" I reply.

"Well, I didn't die without ever having girlfriend. Proved my dad wrong on that one" he says, hugging me to his side.

"Sure did" I reply.

"The chemistry here is real!" Avery says.

" _What?"_ we both ask him at the same time.

He just laughs to himself, and proceeds to wink at us.

Kade returns to us, out of breath and holding a pair of keys.

"I...so you guys _are_ a thing?" he asks, raising an eyebrow.

I sigh with a laugh, and look at him, and then back at Nick.

"I'd say" I speak, my heart beating just a little faster.

"I had a girlfriend, but she, uh...never mind. I don't want to start, y'know, bawling" he says.

 _She must've died in the middle of all this,_ I tell myself.

"You got your car keys?" Nick asks him, also trying to change the subject.

"Yessir" he replies, "hopefully it hasn't been like, destroyed or something".

"Well then, let's get moving" Nick says, holding his arm around me as we walk. He seems to be in a _really_ flirty mood right now, which I can't say I don't like. We even allow Avery to call shotgun, and Nick and I sit in the back. The car is huge, designed specifically for a gorilla; the roof a bit higher, the seats much bigger, and the steering wheel bigger than me, perhaps.

Nick slides over next to me, and holds me tight, and once again, I can't say I mind it.

"Just drive wherever the road takes us for now. We can spend all our money on gas, and food is free now" Nick says.

"Right" Kade responds.

"So I guess we'll live a mobile life. Well, until the car breaks or something, but...eh, let's not think too much. Let's drive out in the countryside for now. Not as many of them there" he adds.

"Sure thing" Kade responds, cranking the car, which thankfully starts up without a problem.

I lean on Nick, and close my eyes to sleep again, feeling the full warmth of his presence.

"Thank you Nick" I almost whisper.

"Aw, its nothing" he says.

"No, really, you've been the best partner I could ever dream of. Maybe even _better_ than a dream. You just need to know that" I say.

He chuckles, dragging his fingers through the fur on my head.

"Do I know that? Yes, yes I do" he says, I'm sure with his usual smirk, "But don't be so hard on yourself. I wouldn't be the best partner _ever_ without you at my side".

I smile goofily, and I grab his hand, keeping my eyes shut in pure felicity.

"True, true" I say.

I listen to Avery conversing with Kade nonchalantly, explaining all of his favorite stuff to him. His favorite foods, favorite cities, favorite people, favorite day, and essentially anything else that leaks from the child's mind and into the air. Kade doesn't seem to be too annoyed by him, answering all of Avery's questions with a tranquil attitude.

 _Serenity. That's the word I'm looking for. Everything feels so serene._

But, there is only one statement that floats in my mind as we continue on the road out of Los Animales; a quote from a poem actually. I push it out of my mind, but it seems to represent a boomerang in the way it comes back into my thoughts.

 _Nothing gold can stay._

 **Well, well, well, for** _ **once**_ **I didn't end on a cliffhanger! Anyways, what do you guys think of Kade? The term "gentle giant" works well here. And what about that fluff at the end there? Awesome, right? But remember Robert Frost's quote that was stuck in Judy's head.** _ **Remember it**_ **. Anyways, thank you for reading! Please leave your thoughts in the reviews! Until next time!**


	12. Growths

**Zootopians- Thanks! And what do you mean by _more_ intimate? Lol**

 **syhsnakey- Understandable! Thanks for reading!**

 **Dagger- Thanks, and that's just how I write. Outside of Judy's gunshot wound, no one has been severely injured...yet. ;)**

 **1-800fangirl- No promises with the killing ;D. Thanks for the awesome review yet, again. Love the support, and glad you're enjoying it! (keep your fingers crossed on the duck, lol)**

 **PoisonChimera- Totally!**

 **SparkleyUnihorse- Big foreshadows...not usually a good thing, right? And thanks!**

 **Welcome back once again to another chapter of _Tales of Turmoil_! So what happens next? Why am I even asking that? Enjoy chapter twelve!**

 **Nick POV**

The atmosphere now is very different; it seems like we have accepted our new life. We don't spend every minute wishing to have everything the way it used to be, because we are starting to get used to it now. We realize that life is unforgiving now and that this world we now roam is not the world we used to know. Everything has changed, most for the worse, but it doesn't matter to us like it used to. We have each other, and if there's one thing I know, it's that there's no use in dwelling on the negative things anymore. Now, it's about the things that will help us keep moving forward and not pull us back, because slowing down at this point is not an option.

I stare out the window with wonder, watching as the trees begin to pass my view. We're out of the city now, which is not a bad thing. Infected numbers seem to spike in formerly populated zones, which should come as no surprise. At this point, being in a city is all the more risk, so living in the countryside is probably our best option. Even then, threats will still be present and active in our lives, which we've obviously come to accept.

Don't even _make_ me start on Judy. She's been _way_ too amazing to me; so amazing that I really can't even begin to describe how much I care about her.

I gaze down at her, as I lean towards the car door, her body sprawled across me with a huge, cute smile on her face. She has her arms around my body as she sleeps, holding me like she truly _needs_ me to survive. I rub my hand up and down her back, the moment feeling quite perfect. _Too_ perfect.

"And so, yeah. They're basically my parents" I hear Avery tell Kade, the two of them still stuck in conversation; a conversation that seems to be Avery doing most of the speaking.

"That's nice" he responds.

"Yeah, so anyways, we went to this place with this weirdo who was being _really_ annoying, and Nick had enough of him so he-"

He starts re-enacted punches and gunshots, as Kade bellows in laughter.

"We all meet some people like that" he says.

"True, true. I knew this kid in school, his name was Billy. I mean, _come on_! He was the meanest kid I've ever seen! He even stole my lunch one day, so I walked right up to 'em and said: "Give it back!" so then, he laughed at me. So then, I took a pie off of a table beside me and threw it at his face!" Avery recalls, laughing wildly.

"Sounds just like fourth grade for me too" Kade states.

"Pies? Oh yeah, I ate them like everyday until a few days ago. And ice cream, of course. Bu-"

"No, I mean bullies" Kade interrupts, "I was always bullied because I was, and still am a generally quiet guy".

"Psh! Who'd be dumb enough to mess with a big, scary guy like you?" Avery asks him.

"Well, Avery, that's not all I am. I guess you could call me a softie. I always got upset after the other kids made fun of me; well, until one day..." I hear him trail off.

"What happened, Kade?" Avery asks him with childish curiosity.

"I had enough...and...I...punched someone. I punched them so hard that it broke their skull, and they had to stay in the hospital for weeks. Ever since then, I've felt like a mindless brute. Everyone looks at me and says: "Wow! Look at that big, scary beast!" They judge me by how I look, not how I am. And that...that gets to me" he finishes.

"I'm sorry, Kade. People always tell me I'm annoying" he says, "But maybe I am. That's just me".

Kade laughs a bit to himself.

"You're alright, kid" he mutters.

I feel my own eyes beginning to slowly shut as I glance at the time:

 _10:28 PM._

My head slowly leans on top of Judy's, giving Avery a perfect picture opportunity, to which I don't mind anymore. After all I've been through with her, she's like a part of me now. I don't care who sees me with her, because I am proud to be her partner.

 **1:24 AM**

We hit a bump on the road and I wake with a start, causing Judy to jolt awake as well. I notice that Kade is still driving, Avery asleep beside him.

"K-Kade? What time is it?" I ask.

"Almost one-thirty" he replies, checking his watch.

"And you're still driving?" Judy asks tiredly, still basically cuddled against me.

"I want to get as far away from the city. I'm not tired anyways" he states, staring out the windshield at the headlight-lit road ahead of him.

"Suit yourself, Donkey Kong" I reply.

"Don't drive if you get really tired" Judy tells him.

"I won't" he assures us.

I'm still not sure about falling asleep while in the presence of a large primate with the potential to murder us at any given second, but I guess I'll manage. After all, I'm so tired that every inch of my body aches, and I struggle to keep my eyes open. My ribs still hurt from the attack in the alley, but Judy's leg is doing much better. My eyes sort of sting from the smoke blasted into my face with the grenade earlier, but still, I feel much better than I did before all of this started; mainly meeting Judy. Avery, he's questionable, but he's a lot like me as a child sometimes. He reminds me of myself, and he _almost_ feels like a son to me at this point in time.

I let myself ponder the mysterious question once more for a while as we ride: "How did all this happen?"

This isn't just being savage anymore. The animals supposedly went savage because of night-howler berries, and things were getting better. Then, without warning, it spiked an extraordinary amount, and became even more gruesome and extreme than even the most paranoid individual could have ever predicted.

I remember the armadillo from the hospital; one of the first victims I met before I witnessed the carnage at the bakery. I remember the insane feeling of disgust and horror within me that day. I remember questioning my mind after fully perceiving the brutality of the situation. I remember doubting my memory, and denying the possibility that it even happened. Then after the alley attack, I knew this was becoming more and more real. I knew it was spreading, and I knew it could potentially be a fatal blow to Zootopia.

 _Why didn't I warn them?_

I didn't _want_ to believe that it was as serious as it _actually_ is. This is beyond what I could ever imagine, though.

I glance out the window as we pass by a small country town at the world I once knew. Civilizations, cultures, economies, countries, cities, states: all gone.

My eyes begin to close, but Kade slowly stops the car.

"You tired now?" I ask knowingly.

"Yep" he says with a yawn.

"Doesn't look like there's anyone in this town" I say, "We should be safe just staying in the car".

He double checks the doors to make sure they are locked, and leans back in his chair.

"I better get some rest" he says dully.

"Alright, silverback" I reply with a slight smirk, closing my eyes once more.

 _For once, let me have a good night of sleep._

 **Judy POV**

I wake to the sound of Avery singing softly to himself, listening to music on his phone through his earbuds and I squint my eyes at the bright sunlight shining through the windows and into my eyes.

 _Morning already?_

I still feel quite tired, and I notice the lack of Nick's body beside me.

"Wh-" I begin to ask, but then I see Nick sitting on the trunk of the car, eating a sandwich as he stares at the small town.

"Avery? What time is it?" I ask him, but he doesn't reply, his music blocking out my voice.

I tap his shoulder, causing him to jump, and notice that he's wearing large sunglasses on his face; and by large I mean _way_ too large.

"What time is it?" I ask him, "And where did you get _those?"_

"It's like twelve thirty, Carrots" he says, "And I got these from Kade. He said I can have them".

"Did you just call me "Carrots?"' I ask him.

"Sorry, I forgot only _Nick_ can call you that" he says with a wink.

I roll my eyes as he takes the sunglasses off and places them beside him.

"So where did Kade go?" I ask him, noticing his absence.

"He went to search the town for anything we might need. Doesn't look like there's any weirdos 'round here" he says, taking a sip out of his juice box.

"Did he bring a gun?" I ask him.

"Yah" he replies casually, and then resumes singing loudly.

"You seem refreshed" I say with an amused look, exiting the car.

I walk around the car to Nick as he eats, and sit beside him on the car, feeling the heat of the risen sun beaming down on us.

"Good night's sleep, huh?" he asks.

"You could say that" I reply.

"Betcha' liked being awake even more" he says teasingly.

"What do you me-"

I realize what he's speaking of.

"Oh...yeah" I say with a slight blush.

"C'mon Carrots, isn't it normal by now?" he asks, poking me playfully on my shoulder.

"I guess so, but I mean, it still makes me feel-"

"Happy?" he asks hopefully.

"I was going to say "perfectly content with life", but yeah, happy works too" I say with a grin.

He takes a sip out of his bottle of soda, and replies.

"That's good" he says with a smirk directed at me.

I can almost feel the radiating love he has for me, causing me to feel wobbly and shy, but I manage to speak words again.

"You sleep well?" I ask him, grabbing a bag of chips.

"Hah. Understatement of the year" he says.

"Why, 'cause I was there with you?" I ask.

"Well...duh!" he says, "But not _just_ that. I guess you could just say I had a lot of time to think, about stuff...about _you_...and you know, it also helps that no zombie-freaks woke me up at three in the morning".

I realize the bag of chips I am holding are _carrot_ flavored, and I notice Nick laughing to himself.

"Bought those just for you" he says with a playful punch on my shoulder.

I giggle a little bit, too.

"Wow, I've actually never seen these" I say to him, "Better hope they actually _taste_ like carrots".

As I eat them, I discover that the flavor is actually really great. I eat nearly a handful of them in under fifteen seconds, as Nick watches with amusement.

"Guessing they aren't too bad" he says aloud.

We watch as Kade approaches our car, carrying a dusty backpack.

"What's in there?" I ask him, approaching him as he walks.

"Not sure. I found it in a safe" he states, setting the bag down on the ground in front of the car.

"Let's hope it has ammo or something" Nick wishes.

Kade unzips the bag anxiously, as we watch in curiosity.

"Oh...it's..."

I glance down, and face myself with a sight I know Nick will not appreciate.

"Oh...of course" Nick says glumly.

The bag is stuffed with cans of fox repellent, and I breathe out deeply with hatred.

"Well that's the opposite of what we wanted to see" I say.

"Yeah" Nick says, despising the sight before him.

"I know exactly what to do with this" Kade states.

He throws the bag a few feet away from us, and lights a math, before throwing it on the bag as we all laugh to ourselves. We watch the bag of fox repellent burn, the cans popping loudly as they burst with joyful expressions on our faces. I guess it is true that sometimes the best memories come from the most unlikely situations. I reach over and grab Nick's hand as we watch, truly enjoying the beautiful sight before us.

Avery stumbles out of the car, and runs over to us.

"Well, what's going on here?" he asks us, "I thought a bomb went off or somethin'!"

"It's okay, we're just...having some fun" I tell him.

"Why didn't you tell me? You know fun is like my favorite thing ever! Actually, I know this song about having fun. It goes l-"

"That's alright!" Nick says, stopping Avery before he sings, "We can have fun _without_ singing; just this one time".

"But you _know_ how much I love singing, da...I mean Nick" he says.

"Wait, what were you about to call me?" Nick asks.

"Nothin'. I don't know" Avery says.

There's a brief silence, before Kade speaks.

"You guys want to go look around some more? I only checked a few of the buildings" he says.

"How many corpses are around?" I ask, not in the mood to see dead bodies.

"Not many. Most of the people in this town evacuated I think" he replies, his eyes looking upwards in thought.

"Alright. Guess it can't hurt".

We gather the food after we finish eating and put it back in the trunk, discussing taking another trip to the grocery store to restore our food supply. We talk to our Kade about our journey here, telling stories of loss, happiness and unbelievable sights; both good and bad.

"My girlfriend's name was Anna" Kade tells us as we walk through the small roads of the town, "And she...she was perfect to me. I went through the hard years of my life with her at my side, no matter how hard it got. It was three, four nights ago that she was bitten by a deranged homeless animal on the way home, and after that she...it was terrible. She started shaking and stuff, and I tried to help her. I had to abandon my house with her in it because...she tried to kill me" he says, sounding close to tears upon reciting the story.

"That...that's horrible, Kade" I reply, sounding quite sad myself.

 _Imagine losing Nick that way_ , I think to myself.

"I had no choice but to just get over it. It's...really sad, but I mean, at least she's my motivation now. I'm living for her now" he states plainly.

We continue telling life stories as we search through an abandoned department store, a few small houses and a run-down motel, being cautious the whole time.

I search through a safe in one of the hotel rooms, expecting to find something useful. But once again, all we find is fox repellent.

 _Must've been a bunch of paranoid bunnies that lived here._

"Look what I found!" Avery yells, and we all turn to him.

He holds a toothbrush high in the air with a big smile.

"Avery, that's a toothbrush" Nick tells him.

"Yep! I left mine back in the car, so I need a new one!" he says.

"Ew, gross! If you need a new one, we can steal...take it from a store, not pick up some used toothbrush that could have a disease...or _the_ disease" I say.

Avery shrugs, and tosses it back on the counter where he found it.

We continue searching through rooms, but come up empty handed besides a few pennies and nickels. We head to the hotel kitchen, and collect knives that we could potentially use for throwing, as in this world _nothing_ can go to waste.

"I used to be really good at knife throwing" Kade tells us as we search, "They said I'd never be good at it because my hands are huge. Proved them wrong" he says with a deep laugh to himself.

"I was always told I'd never be a police officer" I inform him, "Well, I guess I'm not anymore. But I made it, and I never gave up".

"And if she hadn't made it, I'd probably be iced by Mr. Big by now" Nick adds.

"Weren't you an officer too?" Kade asks him.

"Yeah, but it's not that simple. I used to be a street hustler, until Carrots here hustled me. After I helped her with her first _real_ case, I knew that I didn't want to go back to the way I used to be...I wanted to be with her. Some stuff happened, and I eventually ended up as her partner. So, voila!" Nick explains.

"And now you guys are dating; how cute" he says with a sly smile.

"Yeah, yeah, big guy. Everyone says that" Nick says to him.

"Because you guys seem perfect together. That's why" he says as he searches a kitchen drawer.

Nick and I laugh as we look at each other, knowing that what Kade said is the actual truth.

"You sound just like Avery!" I tell him, noticing Avery's absence from the room.

 _He's probably off looking through food cabinets or something._

"Yeah, I spent some time talking to the kid, and he's not bad" Kade tells us.

"He's like my adopted-weirdo-hedgehog son in a way" Nick states, "We probably should go find him".

"Yeah, true. Never know what he could get into" I agree.

We pass the door to the basement, and open the door with a "creak!" We practically all at once speak the same thing upon seeing the eeriness at the bottom of the stairs.

"Nope!"

We continue back into the lobby, and find Avery, standing at the door, staring at us.

"There you are! Don't disappear on us" I say to him.

He doesn't reply, but continues to stand in silence, not even blinking.

I stare at Nick and Kade in confusion, before proceeding closer to him.

"Avery?" Nick asks, "You okay?"

He still doesn't speak, and I begin to feel very uneasy.

I walk right up to him and touch his shoulder in attempt to unfreeze him. Upon touching him, he jumps a mile, and begins breathing heavily.

"J-J-Judy..." he says slowly.

"What? What's wrong!?" I ask frantically.

"They're behind you."

 **Wait what? What's behind Judy? I guess we'll never know...until chapter 13. Thank you for reading, and I apologize for the brutal cliffhangers throughout the story, as well as the short chapter. I'll try my best to make Chapter 13 a bit longer. And what about Kade? Is it safe to trust him yet? Anyways, please drop a review, they're all much appreciated! Until next time!**


	13. The Whistle

**Roxy- Thanks, and will do!**

 **1-800fangirl- Trust me, Avery's past will not be abandoned. Thanks for the review (yet again), and yes, I do love waffles.**

 **PoisonChimere- Quite the bromance, isn't it?**

 **SparkleyUnihorse- Sorry about the typo, lol. And I'm glad you're enjoying it!**

 **daboss12349- Thanks, and will do!**

 **Surprised? Don't be. Chapter thirteen is here early for your enjoyment!**

 **Nick POV**

 _Here we go again._

We don't want to turn around, fearing the worst, but curiosity gets the better of us. My eyes trail from Avery's wide, fear-struck expression to the sight behind me.

I don't see anything except for a shaking chandelier hanging from the ceiling, indicating a former presence behind us. My eyes zoom around our surroundings, looking for an indication of where the stalker may have gone, but find nothing.

"Avery? Where did they go?!" I ask uneasily.

"They said they'll be back" he says eerily.

"Who is _they_?" Judy asks.

"You don't want to know" Avery speaks shakily.

How can a small child come from being such a goofball to so creepy so fast?

"Well, looks like they're gone now" Kade says.

We take one last look around, and see nothing, and Judy grabs Avery's hand as we head for the door. That's when we hear clear footsteps above us, sounding as though they are sprinting.

"We need to get out of here" I say.

We burst through the doors, and begin heading to the car, quite shocked at the obvious presence in the motel. I turn back, and I swear I see a face watching us from the window, but I shake the thought out of my head.

 _Why would someone be watching us?_

The shape of the silhouette looked nothing like Bogo, so it can't be him stalking us again.

 _Probably just my imagination._

As we arrive at the car, nothing short of winded, we immediately begin questioning Avery.

"What did you see?" Judy asks him.

Avery shakes his head with his eyes closed.

"I don't want to say" he speaks calmly.

"You _need_ to tell us! We could end up dead from this if you don't!" Judy tells him.

"They weren't infected...they weren't normal...they looked evil. They were these rabbits...and they said they we can't hide from them, then they ran away..." Avery says.

"How many were there?" Kade asks a bit louder than usual.

"Four" Avery says slowly, recalling the sighting.

"Were they armed?" I ask him.

"Yes!" Avery squeals in terror.

"What do we do?!" Judy asks, as Avery looks quite afraid.

"We have to go, now!" Kade says.

We all scramble to get into the car, still quite confused about the situation.

I begin putting my seatbelt on, but suddenly hear a whizzing sound past my head, and the window glass cracks. It takes me a moment to realize what is going on.

"Everyone get down!" I scream, as we all drop to the floor of the car. I hear several bullets flying over my head, and the glass around us shatters.

We're all screaming as we are barraged with a storm of bullets, glass falling all over us, creating cuts and drawing blood. My cheek is burning, and I pull of piece of glass from it as the gunfire finally stops.

"E-everyone okay?" Judy asks.

"Yeah, I think so" Kade responds.

I slowly rise up from the floor a bit, using a tissue to stop the blood.

"We have to go before they get to the car" I say, struggling to remain calm.

Kade hits the gas, but the car hardly moves.

 _The tires have been popped._

"They busted the tires!" Kade says.

"We have to make a run for it!" I say, opening the door.

"C'mon!" Kade says, holding Avery in his arms, as hedgehogs are not the speediest animals.

Upon exiting the car, I come face to face with a black-furred rabbit, holding a gun to my face with a cruel smile.

"Well, well, well, what's goin' on here?" he asks.

"We don't want any trouble. We'll just be going" Kade says, beginning to open his car door, before one of the rabbits slams it shut, aiming a gun at Kade.

Other rabbits surround the car: exactly four of them.

"I'm 'fraid you won't be going anywhere. You four are wanted by Bogo" he states.

"Wait, how do you know Bogo?" I ask.

"Well, we were all in Zootopia when this all began. Bogo hired us to find you once we met him, and told us that in return, he won't infect us. So, that's a deal we _had_ to take. Who knows what he could'a done to us?"

"You aren't infected...do you not realize we can work together?" I ask him in a persuading demeanor.

"I'm not risking Bogo coming after _me_. I can't betray my own boss! Now, we're gonna have to do this the easy way, or the hard way. We have a van down behind the motel. I'm sure you guys will have a comfy ride in the back" he tells us.

 _There's no way we're leaving everything we have in the car, and all of our weapons._

"You must be off your rocker. We aren't going anywhere!" I yell at him.

He coolly aims his gun at Avery's face, and I gasp.

"Do you _really_ want to risk the life of the child?" he asks bitterly.

"You aren't _that_ evil" I tell him, as I glance at a wide-eyed Avery, nearly trembling in fear.

"Oh, really?"

He lifts the gun into the air, and brings it down on the top of Avery's head with quite some force, knocking him unconscious as Judy, Kade and I scream.

He drops Avery's limp body to the ground, and I suddenly draw my concealed pistol; something I presume they weren't expecting.

We both aim our weapons at each other, as the other rabbits hold guns to the heads of all three of my allies. Everything I love could be taken away in less than a second.

"Go ahead, fox! Pull the trigger! Lose everything you care about!" he yells at me.

I breathe deeply in anger, struggling with every ounce of my being not to pull the trigger.

"All you gotta do is get in the van!" he tells me, "That's all".

"You just hurt Avery!" I scream viciously.

"It could get worse if you don't do what I say" he tells me evilly.

"Yeah!" one of his allies says.

Suddenly, Judy stomps on the foot of the rabbit restraining her, and takes his gun. The dark rabbit in front of me fires at her, but shoots another rabbit, as Judy readjusts her aim at the rabbit standing over Avery. Kade, nearly simultaneously, backhands the rabbit holding him at gunpoint, snapping his neck audibly.

"Charlie...ah...help..." the dying rabbit struggles to speak, and then he visibly stops breathing.

"All of you! Stop it, now!" the dark rabbit I guess is named "Charlie" yells, aiming at Judy, and then at me, and then back at Judy.

The second he aims back at Judy, I shoot him in his chest, and he drops his weapon with a groan. Judy fires at the rabbit standing over Avery, and I watch the bullet travel straight through his skull, leaving a cluster of skull fragments as well as blood and brain matter spread throughout the grass.

Judy and I both aim at Charlie, both in disbelief that we actually got ourselves out of this situation.

"Tell me what Bogo wants, _now!_ " I yell as he chokes on his own blood.

" _Hah,_ dumb...fox...you'll never know!"

I shoot him again in the leg, and he writhes in agony.

"Why does he want to kill us so badly?!"

Charlie writhes once more, attempting to reach for the wound on his leg, but I point the gun at his face.

"Tell me, _now_ " I command one final time.

"Go ahead! Kill me! I don't want to live with Bogo knowing I failed! He'll...he'll kill me anyway! Do it, fox! Or are you too much" he coughs up a bit of blood onto his shirt, "Are you too much of a c-coward?!"

I take one last glare at him, and I pull the trigger, knowing very well that this rabbit won't talk. His body stops wiggling, and I fire one more time to ensure he is dead. Then, I walk over to the others as Judy and Kade rush to Avery's aid, and shoot them each twice in the head to ensure that they won't be coming back anytime soon.

I then stumble quickly over to Avery, quite concerned.

"Is he okay?" I ask them.

"He's breathing...just knocked out" Kade tells me.

How _dare_ they hurt a child; especially Avery, the nicest kid you'll ever meet! And why is Bogo sending rabbit-assassins to capture us, and not kill us? What does he want from us? We're just normal people trying to survive! I mean, sure, infected are aggressive when they come across normal people, but why _specifically_ us? I mean, he's tracking us all the way across the country!

I turn my attention to yet another problem: the tires.

"What do we do about the tires?" I ask.

"I have a spare, but I need one more. Both of the rear tires are popped" he states, rubbing the top of Avery's head.

"Oh!" I realize, "The van!"

"Right! You and Judy know how to take off a tire?" he asks me.

"We can try our best" I say shrugging.

"If you need help, just yell for me" Kade mutters, now placing an icepack on the head of Avery.

He gives us a wrench, and we begin our trek to the van supposedly behind the motel, with one thought on my mind: _What if this is a trap?_

"Hey, Carrots, you thinking what I'm thinking?" I ask her, also wondering why she's been fairly quiet.

"That this could be a trap?" she asks me.

"Yep. What if Kade set us up for this? What if Avery set us up to meet Kade who has a trap set for us? What if-"

"Oh, come on Nick" she says, poking my arm, "You trust me right?"

I don't even need to _think_ about that question.

"Of course" I state plainly.

"Then trust me when I say that Kade is being real with us. And that Avery thing-"

"I was just jokin' about that" I tell her as we walk.

"Good" she says.

"And don't worry about Avery, he's going to be fine" I promise her.

"Let's hope so. I don't want to lose a child...I mean an ally" she says blushing even more now.

I break the momentarily silence with a risky statement.

"Y'know, Avery _is_ kind of like our child in a way" I tell her.

She blushes and her eyes widen, with a big smile.

"Y-yeah, I guess you could say that" she says.

I chuckle at her reaction.

"You're really sensitive to romantic stuff, y'know" I tell her, taking the carrot-pen out of my pocket; something I forgot about until now, and I press the record button.

"Cant help it! Guess you're just _too_ amazing" she says, bumping my arm with her shoulder playfully.

I replay what she said, and she rolls her eyes.

"I forgot about that thing. Don't think it would be too much use now" she states.

"Right. Oh, and now, every time you get mad at me, I'm going to play that recording" I say with a teasing smirk.

"Aw, come on Nick! If you love me so much, why don't you just tell me?" she says jokingly.

"I love you!" I say, looking at her with moral victory.

"I guess I love you too" she responds.

"Hah, I already know that, Carrots" I speak with happiness that can't be hidden.

I put my arm around her and pull her close as we walk, and she giggles, obviously enjoying it. A few seconds later, we come across a large gray van, looking quite ominous in my eyes.

"Whoah" Judy exclaims, "That looks suspicious".

I release her from my body, and observe the vehicle, catching a feeling of premonition within me.

We slowly approach the car, expecting something to jump out at any moment.

"Watch yourself, partner!" I say, imitating a southern accent.

"You too! We ain't dyin' today!" she replies in the same tone.

I slowly open the back doors as Judy aims her gun in the car, once again expecting a threat to emerge and attack us with brutality. This never happens, however.

"Alright then..." I mutter.

I hop into the back of the van, and search for anything we may need, while Judy works on getting one of the tires off of the van.

I haven't really taken a moment to consider how close I was to death just minutes ago. "Charlie" or whatever his name was could have easily killed all of us, but showed restrain for some reason. He simply didn't want us to die, for reason unknown. All I know is the second he hit Avery, all mercy was gone. He simply _had_ to die.

I search through piles upon piles of ammo, some of which I collect, as well as explosives and weapons. I find a grenade marked: _MK3A2_ , and stuff it into my backpack.

"How's it goin' for you?" Judy yells to me.

"Pretty nice. Found some interesting stuff in here" I tell her.

"I got the tire off!" she says, sounding quite accomplished.

"Guess we won't be stuck here forever after all!" I reply.

 **Judy POV**

I place the tire on the ground in front of the entrance to the back of the van, and climb in to see what Nick has found.

There's plenty of ammo and weapons; way too many to carry in fact, as well as a crate of explosives. There's a noticeable lack of food among other resources, which shocks me. The four of them seemed like pretty good survival artists.

"Quite the gold mine, huh?" I ask Nick.

"Yeah! How did they get their hands on all of this? This has to be all the ammo in town! Or _several_ towns" he states.

"Be right back; I'm gonna check the front" I tell him.

I hop out of the back as he continues scavenging whatever we may need, and open the driver's door. I notice nothing of interest; a bottle of beer, some cigar butts, one or two dollars, and...oh, a cell phone! I pick it up and immediately begin searching through the texts, but find nothing regarding Bogo. Only text messages between that "Charlie" guy and his friends.

 _Why would he leave his phone in the car without a passcode on it?_

As I click on a file named "Bogo", The phone begins beeping, and I gasp in horror. I throw the phone away from the car, but it doesn't seem to fly a safe distance.

"Nick! Get out of there NOW!" I yell, my heart pounding, and my stomach feeling like it is full of ice water.

I run around to the back, and he jumps out, colliding with me, knocking us both to the ground as the beeps speed up.

"Oh no..." he says.

We scramble to our feet, and I grab the tire, and dive for cover behind the wall.

A huge vibration rocks the area, but luckily the wall hides us from the shockwave as well as the heat.

 _A phone bomb?_ Clever rabbit. I guess he left it behind in case we were to kill him, as he knew our reputation as the best officers in Zootopia.

"Juds! You alright?" Nick asks me.

"Yeah, I'm good" I respond, "And I saved the tire".

He leans in and kisses me as I lay on top of him after the dive of desperation; in which, of course, I happened to land in such a position.

We finally disconnect, and he speaks.

"What kind of idiot makes a bomb that "beeps" so you know its about to go off? I mean, who invented that _genius_ idea?"

I laugh at him as we get to our feet, and I begin rolling the tire up the hill as he follows beside me. I look back at the flaming vehicle, thanking my lucky stars Nick and I got out of there alive.

Kade approaches us with a concerned expression, Avery alongside him.

"Avery!" I yell, pulling the child into a hug, his spines hurting my arms a little, but I really don't care.

"Judy! I can...barely...breathe" he says, and then I release him with a guilty expression.

"Sorry about that" I say, "Is your head okay?"

"Well, it's not any worse than it was before all this" he says with a laugh.

Nick shockingly pulls him in for a hug as well, looking quite happy to see Avery conscious again. It's quite obvious to see that Nick is really getting used to having him around, and his absence is always very noticeable.

"I told you, we aren't going to let anyone hurt you" Nick tells him.

"Did ya' kill him?" Avery asks him.

"Duh! No one hurts my favorite hedgehog named Avery" he tells him.

"Gee, what a compliment!" Avery exclaims, but smiles regardless.

We begin walking up to the car, and Kade looks back in confusion.

"Is something on fire?" he asks, gesturing towards the rising smoke.

"Yep" I respond in an amused tone.

"Let me guess; he set an insanely obvious trap that gave you plenty of time to escape before it blew up" Avery predicts with a knowing look.

"Yep" Nick replies, handing the tire to Kade, "But we found a bunch of stuff. I brought some of it in my bag, but most of it is..."

He tilts his head towards the smoke.

"Gone".

I can't help but smile at the fox I love, as I stare at the smoke rising into the sky. Then I realize; if there's smoke, evolved infected can use it to find us.

"We better get going soon. The smoke just leads the way for infected" I state.

Kade nods, and begins working on getting the tires on.

"You guys wait in the car, I'll get this done as fast as I can" he tells us.

"Okay!" I say to him, as the rest of us get back into the car.

"He's not a bad guy, is he?" Nick asks aloud.

"Kade? Of course not. I knew he was fine from the moment we met him" I tell him.

Nick starts snickering to himself.

"Remember the first day I met you?" he asks me.

"Hah, yeah. I hustled you" I say.

He takes out the pen, and plays the recording from earlier: _"I guess you're just too amazing!"_ I hear my voice say.

"Hm, I guess I am pretty amazing" he says, winking at me, "Dontcha' agree, Carrots?"

"I guess so" I say nonchalantly, and then proceed to tickle him, which he begs me to stop.

Avery simply plugs in his earbuds and resumes singing the same song from earlier in a screechy tone, and Nick and I cringe at the sound.

 _Even with the awful singing, you still gotta love him._

 **2:58 PM**

We continue waiting in the car as Kade finishes up tightening the tires, trying our best to ignore the pile of rabbit-corpses beside the car. For the first time in a while, I open the compartment under the front seat and grab my phone. No new notifications, which is a good and bad thing, as getting a creepy phone call from Bogo isn't exactly on my to-do list.

Avery takes a few moments to pause, and a new sound catches my ear.

"Shh!" I tell him, and he turns back to me and Nick.

"What's wrong?" he whispers.

"That noise" I say.

It sounds like a fan almost, except much more distant. However, it sounds as though it is getting closer with each moment. I slowly roll down the window, and speak to Kade.

"What's that noise?" I ask him.

Kade's eyes widen as he too hears the approaching sound and quickly leans back down, twisting the last few bolts in a noticeable hurry.

"It can't be" he mumbles, barely audible.

"What!?" I ask as the sound continues to get louder.

He screws in the final bolt and jams the wrench in his pocket before jumping in the front seat, looking extremely panicked in nature.

I now realize that this isn't a giant ceiling fan in the sky, but its an approaching helicopter; a helicopter approaching us _very_ quickly.

I peer out the window at the now visible chopper, looking as though it may land right beside us.

With haste, Kade quickly starts the car, and floors the gas pedal, starting us back down the highway.

As we drive quickly down the highway, I hear the sound of a whistle, almost. A whistle getting louder, and louder, and louder. I turn around the see the missile heading straight for the car, but I don't have time to scream. All I have time to do is tighten my grip on Nick's hand one last time, as the missile explodes a few feet behind the car, knocking our car into the air. We scream, but I don't quite interpret the sound. I see us smash into the pavement upside down, causing the windshield to smash, and then I see fire. My mind begins going blank, and then everything goes black.

 **What a** _ **devilish**_ **cliffhanger!** **I can hear the gasps already! Hit by a missile?! What** _ **are**_ **the odds? And who could have done it? And why? It can't stay a secret forever...**

 **Hope everyone enjoyed chapter thirteen, and chapter fourteen will be up soon enough. Until then!...**


	14. The Deal

**PoisonChimera- Same!**

 **jojoanos- Thanks! And I'll consider it, lol.**

 **AnotherZootopian- Thanks, and I guess you'll find out ;)**

 **SparkleyUnihorse- It isn't nice, is it? ;D**

 **Dagger- Guess you'll be happy with this chapter.**

 **Zootopians- I feel ya.**

 **1-800fangirl- Thanks so much for the lovely review, and meow back!**

 **Astorathgrim- What if they're all incorrect? ;D But thanks for the detailed review, I really appreciate it!**

 **Vivanai- Thanks, glad you're enjoying it!**

 **I apologize for the simply agonizing wait! Had a ton of work to do, but I'm glad to say the wait is over! Anyways, enjoy chapter fourteen of _Tales of Turmoil!_ PS, sorry for the brutal cliffhanger!**

 **Nick POV  
** Blurriness fills my vision as I attempt to open my eyes. My entire body aches, as if I've been asleep for years. I slowly sit up, opening my eyes fully, and take in my surroundings. I'm in a white bed with oxygen tubes up my nose, trying to recall what happened. Beside me lies Kade, still asleep, with horrible burns on his face and neck area. I can hardly believe he is still alive with such injuries, but his heart monitor says otherwise.

"Kade?" I ask in a near-whisper, "Kade!"

He doesn't move a muscle, and I slowly get out of my bed with carefulness. I glance down at my hand which is completely wrapped in a bandage in curiosity.

 _Is this the hospital?_

I'm not wearing a hospital gown; I'm dressed the same as I usually would be. I begin searching the room for clues, but find nothing of interest. I stare at a clock that reads: _3:32 AM,_ still attempting to recall why I am here in the first place.

 _We were in that town and we killed those rabbits. We tried to leave, and then..._

I simply can't remember. I do know one thing, though:

 _I need to find Judy and Avery._

I leave Kade asleep in his bed, and attempt to open the door, only to discover that it is locked.

"You gotta be kidding. Who locks patients in their rooms in a hospital?" I ask myself aloud.

The beeps of Kade's heartbeat monitor echo through the room as I begin to panic, staring at my apparently injured hand. Luckily it is my left hand that appears to be injured.

I search on top of the door, and immediately feel a key.

 _Wow, real creative placement._

Without hesitation, I unlock the door, and open it quickly. I see a hallway with all sorts of machines, and stare ahead cautiously. I don't want to make a sudden move, as I still don't know who has us contained here. I also don't want to leave Kade behind, but he doesn't look well enough to come with me to find the others. I look back one last time in attempt to spot a firearm, but it appears they have confiscated them all.

I wonder what could have burned Kade so badly? We weren't in a fire, were we?

I wander down the hall, quietly, seeing no presence at all besides myself.

Where _are_ we? I'm honestly quite lost at this point. The interior no longer resembles a hospital in any way, and strange electronic noises echo down the long hallway. The lights towards the end of the hall flicker on and off ominously, causing me to feel quite uneasy as I tiptoe into the madness I know is coming.

I can barely hear the low rumble of a two deep voices speaking to each other, possibly a floor above me, and I draw my knife which thankfully whoever has abducted me has yet to discover. I decide that there's no going back now, and that finding Judy and Avery is mandatory. No one is going to take Judy from me...

After passing several empty rooms, I hear typing in a room up ahead, and peer inside, silently.

"Yes sir, yes, I'm on it. Please, don't worry. It's like a twelve hour deadline. Yes, we caught them, but that "Bogo" guy found out they're here. He wants them for some reason. He informed us that they're immune, so we made a deal...yeah, yeah" a male orangutan speaks into the phone.

The orangutan moves the phone from his ear, and dials a different number.

"Bogo? Yes, we have them here" he states with a sigh.

"Two hours? Okay, good. They may start waking up soon, and we don't want any trouble. Anyways, we did some scans, and it's true; they are impervious to the disease".

I hear Bogo talking loudly through the phone, and he rolls his eyes.

"Okay, okay, but are you sure we can't keep them here? They will have seen too much by that time".

I hear Bogo screaming now, and the orangutan cringes.

"Fine! I don't know why you need them so much" he mutters.

I hear Bogo speak again.

"Oh no! No worries! They're all contained".

My stomach begins growling loudly as I spy on him, and I roll my eyes at myself.

"Bogo?...I have to go" he says calmly.

I realize that he knows I'm here, and I don't hesitate to rush into the room, drawing my knife, and holding him to the wall as he groans.

"Where are they!?" I ask angrily.

"Wh-who do you think you are?"

He kicks me off his body with rage causing me to drop the knife, and I slam into the wall, knocking the breath out of my lungs. His fist swings for my face, but I duck in just a knick of time, sending his hand barreling into the wall. I roll behind him and jab him several times in the back. He spins around attempting to back-hand me, but I roll to the right, and kick his leg low, causing him to trip, and slam onto the ground.

I leap on him and grab his neck, then I proceed to claw and punch at his face angrily with quite a brutality, and he screams at me to stop.

I quickly stop and pick up the knife, pointing it at him.

"Where...are they?" I ask, out of breath.

"Who?" he asks, wiping the blood from his throbbing face.

"Judy Hopps, Avery Reeds. Tell me _now"_ I command.

He grits his teeth with eyes wide, and points up to the next floor.

"Good day" I tell him grimly before I hit his face with the gun, hard enough to knock him out, "And if you're lying...well, you better not be lying" I say to him, disregarding the fact he is knocked out.

I rush up the stair case that I come across a few meters further down the hall, my heart racing _._

 _A good fight like that sure pumps some adrenaline._

I come across the second floor, and immediately open the first door I see, but come across nothing. I hop to the next door, and the door is locked.

 _Bingo._

I use every ounce of my strength to bust down the door, which hurts my shoulder a bit, but nonetheless I walk into the room to discover Avery sleeping; Judy no where in sight. I gasp at the sight of Avery; one side of his face scarred grotesquely. I try my best to remember what caused all of this, but my mind remains empty.

I tap the child gently, and he begins to stir instantly.

His eyes flicker, and then open with his usual look, full of wonder.

"Whoah! Nick! Where are w-" he begins, starting to sit up.

"Shh!" I say, ushering him back into a sitting position, "You might be hurt!"

"Might?" he asks me, "From what?"

"You know...I don't remember, but you _need_ to remember one thing: where did they take Carrots?"

"They said they needed her for something!" he says, putting his hand under his chin in thought, "I was still awake while they were talking".

"What would they need her for?" I ask, "And why are we trapped here?"

Avery shrugs, and begins to notice his damaged face.

"My face...feels...weird..." he mumbles.

"Let's not worry about that right now" I tell him, as he gazes at me curiously.

Suddenly, I hear a ear piercing scream; a shrill, pain-filled scream.

The scream of the rabbit I love.

 **Judy POV- One Minute Earlier**

My eyes open to a bright light, and I immediately wonder if I've perhaps passed on. I feel my limbs tied to a wall, and I can barely move. My limbs are tied tightly to a board-type thing, and I remember the horror from just before I died; the missile. Is Nick okay? What about Avery? And Kade?

"She's awake" I hear a voice say.

I scan the small, crammed room, and see a tall rabbit approach and stand over me, staring into my eyes with the opposite of love and sympathy.

"Bogo won't have much to take once I'm done with you" she tells me grimly.

"What? Where is Bogo?!" I ask in a frightened tone.

"Getting close now. He's been tracking you for quite a while now. He'll get here, and we'll give him whatever he wants" she speaks, "We don't _want_ to hand you over to him. You, that rabbit and those other two; you killed my son. You need to be caused some pain. But _imagine_ how much money we could make off of a cure! Bogo he made us a deal...he'll let us own and sell the cure in return for you and the others. He's _very_ adamant about getting you three. But first, how about a little revenge!"

"Wha-" I begin, but her hand covers my mouth.

"Shh! It's alright, rabbit" she says with a twisted grin; but I know that this suspicious animal has sinister intentions behind my current predicament.

I attempt to bite her hand, which she pulls back swiftly, and then I yell.

"Nick! Nick!" I scream desperately.

She clubs me in the face, drawing a bit of blood from my mouth.

"How about you shut _up_ , and let me talk! You're here because we need something from you, something small. You, along with that fox and hedgehog seem to be immune, according to our tests" he states.

 _That's why Bogo wants us?_

I recover from the blow to my face, and spit the blood to the floor angrily, before speaking again.

"How long have I been here!?" I yell at her.

"About three days. We found you after my son's phone sent me a distress message, telling us it had been blown up in self defense" she states.

"Self defense? Are you jo-"

She hits me across the face again, and I gasp shrilly, my mouth now bleeding quite a bit.

He leans down, and looks me dead in the eyes, my heart racing as I spit out more blood defiantly.

"Tell me, rabbit. Did you kill my son? Or was it the fox? Or that ape?" she asks coolly.

So this is what she means by "revenge". I struggle, but realize there is no escape.

"He attacked us!" I blurt out desperately.

She tilts his head and narrows his eyes.

"Don't care. Who killed him!?" she asks me intimidatingly.

I spit blood on her shirt, and smirk with a never-dying confidence.

"You...you'll never know" I say.

She knees me in the stomach hard, and I lose my breath, choking on a bit of blood, and I try hard to kneel over in pain, but I can't, still restrained.

 _In case this is the end, I love you Nick,_ I say to myself.

She then elbows me across the face brutally, and my vision begins to blur again. She kicks my shin with incredible force nearly exactly where my gunshot wound is, and I scream in agony.

"That hurt, didn't it?" she asks, as I moan in absolute agony, "But _imagine_ the pain of losing a child".

"Stop...it!" I gasp, trying to remain collected.

She laughs to herself, as she crouches down once more, meeting my eye.

"You will do everything I say, or you won't live through this" she tells me in a straightforward manner, "And that would be a shame, wouldn't it?"

My entire mouth tastes of blood, and my breathing is starting to become much more difficult to maintain.

"What do you...want?" I ask, "You can't kill me or...or Bogo will kill you"

She narrows her eyes, truly loathing the thought of being killed by Bogo.

"Before that buffalo gets here, you _will_ tell me how you are immune! We _must_ have the cure!" she informs me.

"I don't..." I sputter.

"You have a secret, rabbit. We know you do. Tell us, and we'll let you go. You could save all of humanity, and make us billions! Tell me now!" she orders.

"I don't know what you're talking about!" I scream.

She grabs a pressure point on my neck, and begins to squeeze, causing me to struggle for breath loudly. I stare into her eyes; her eyes, truly full of _madness._

"Stop!..." I squeal.

"Tell me _now_!"

She punches me in the stomach furiously, several times, and I simply shut my eyes, accepting that this is the end. I can't breathe anymore, and the continues the beatdown on me until finally, I begin to see black again.

Just as this happens, however, my restraint loosens, and I fall to the ground in a bloody heap.

I begin to look up, and I notice the rabbit lying in front of me, bleeding profusely from her neck. I see a hand reach down and take a firearm from her belt, before moving to me.

"Judy! Judy! Oh god!"

It's Nick! He's come to my rescue! He killed her! I'm not going to die!

"Nick..." I speak, trying to stay conscious.

He leans my head back so I can breathe better, and I begin seeing the world in color again.

"Nick...how did you find me?"

"I just woke up and we were here! I heard you screaming..." he tells me.

"The missile" I remind him, "Remember?"

His eyes light up as he recalls the event, but I remember one important detail spoken by the rabbit.

"Is Kade okay?" I ask.

Nick takes a deep breath as he helps me with my head wounds, and speaks calmly.

"He's...not so good, Fluff" he speaks to me.

"Burned?" I ask him.

"Real bad. I don't know if-" Nick takes a moment to sigh, "I don't know if he's going to make it through this".

I decide to spill the news that I obtained from the words of the rabbit.

"Bogo...he's behind this. He wants us for some reason...something about a cure" I spit out, feeling extremely lightheaded.

Nick takes a moment to think before responding.

"Why would an infected want a cure? There's something bigger going on here than just trying to find a cure".

"No, I mean, the people that have us...they want the cure, but Bogo...he wants... _us_ " I say, still quite confused about it all.

Avery walks in the room behind me, obeying Nick's order to wait a minute before coming in, in case more threats were to be in the room. A noticeable burn scar marks one side of his face, but he overall appears to be in one piece.

"Avery" I say weakly, "I'm glad you're okay".

He kneels by my side, gazing at me dramatically.

"You're gonna be okay, right?" he asks me sweetly.

"Yeah, I'm gonna be okay" I answer gripping his hand tightly.

After a few minutes of bandaging my wounds and allowing me to drink some of his water, Nick helps me to my feet, and I stumble against him. My balance doesn't seem to be adequate after the beating I just suffered, but I proceed to walk with his assistance regardless.

"They wanted us because we killed the leader's son...that rabbit, back in town. Then they found out we are immune after they tested us. We're immune to the disease" I restate in shock.

Nick stares ahead as he helps me to Kade's room quietly, gun drawn in case of any threats.

I notice Nick's hand is wrapped in bandages, and I ask him about it.

"What happened to your hand?"

He lifts his hand and glances at it, and evaluates it quickly.

"I guess it got burned. I can't feel anything through it" he speaks, "Or what if it got burned completely off?!" he asks in a panicked tone.

"Then you wouldn't be wearing a bandage, sly fox" I tell him with the best wink I can manage.

He rolls his eyes playfully, and changes the subject.

"Anyways, I guess Bogo knew we were here. They didn't want to hand us over because we killed the CEO's son, and...and I guess Bogo made a deal that he would allow them to sell a cure if they can use us to create it. But he doesn't want the cure; he wants _us"_ I continue, "And that's why so many people are after us. They all want an antidote".

"So they captured us and Bogo is using the whole cure thing as a deal?" Nick asks.

I take a deep breath.

"It's complicated. They want us to produce a cure before Bogo gets here and just takes us forcibly anyway" I tell him, "We have to get out of here".

"How are we immune? We aren't _that_ special" he asks.

"I don't know...and neither do they. She thought I knew, so she tried to beat it out of me" I whimper.

"Well, she's dead now" he tells me, holding me close to him as we walk.

"Something about this still doesn't make sense, though" I tell him.

" _Nothing_ about this makes sense, Carrots" he speaks honestly.

"Very true" I respond.

Avery stays a small distance behind us, quite wary of the threat that could strike at any moment.

"Medics to room 213! Medics to room 213! CEO Waiters has been injured! All available security units please patrol!" the intercom booms.

Nick cringes, knowing they have discovered the body of the rabbit that had been torturing me. We begin walking faster to the stairs, and we walk down them hurriedly.

"C'mon!" Nick yells back to Avery, as we turn into Kade's room. Avery rushes in after us, and Nick closes and locks the door behind him.

"We can use the window to escape, maybe. There has to be a way besides the front door" Nick tells me, as Avery walks over to Kade's motionless, deformed body.

My stomach sinks to my stomach, realizing the horror of the situation for Avery. He really was getting quite attached to Kade; he was like his big brother in a way. I stand beside Avery in comforting fashion, rubbing his back gingerly.

"K-Kade" he manages to speak through the tears beginning to pour down his face.

On cue, Kade opens his eyes a bit, grimacing in pain at the simple motion. His face is completely ridded of fur, second and third degree burns all over. Even his skull is visible in some areas.

"H...hey...guys" he speaks, wincing with each word he speaks.

Tears form in my eyes at seeing Kade in this much pain. Sure, I've only known him for a few days, but in days like this, you really get to know people. Kade, he's proven himself to us, and he's a one of a kind guy.

"Don't cry, Avery" he speaks to Avery gently, "You're going to be okay".

"But K-Kade...you aren't" Avery replies.

Kade glances up at the ceiling, and back at Avery.

"I'm your friend, Avery. I always will be, buddy" he speaks, his throat sounding extremely hoarse.

"You've been awesome, Kade" Nick tells him genuinely.

Kade forces a smile through the pain, and holds Avery's hand one last time.

"I'm gonna miss you" Avery says, now basically sobbing.

Kade rubs his finger up and down Avery's hand, sending him a silent message.

 _He's in pain, but this is still better than him eventually becoming one of them,_ I think optimistically.

"I don't want to die" Kade chokes, his eyes beginning to water, suddenly comprehending the current situation.

"Don't worry" Avery tells him in a comforting manner, "I'll see you again one day" the child tells him. The ape realizes crying over death in the last few moments of his life will not help his or our cause at all, so he speaks one last time to Avery.

I know this is remind Avery of his brother's death, which rips at my heart. The poor kid has been through so much, and now this?

"Sing me a song" Kade tells him, his eyes flooding with emotions, droplets of his memories, experiences, values, cares and dreams running down his cheeks.

Avery wipes the tears from his own eyes, as Nick finally gets the window open, allowing our escape whenever we are ready.

Avery begins singing his favorite song once again, this time however, in a mysteriously beautiful tone, as Kade holds his hand. With each word, the child's sadness pours out of his soul and into the room. Nick grabs my hand to comfort me as my eyes fill with tears as well, and I sniff in sadness as Avery continues.

Kade begins to stare straight up at the ceiling, and he smiles one last time. His eyes begin to lose light, and his breathing slowly comes to a comfortable stop. His hand lets go of Avery's as he stops singing, and Avery begins to whimper in sorrow.

His heartbeat monitor hits a flatline, and I bury my face into Nick's shoulder. I feel Nick crying as well, and only then do I realize how real the situation is.

Kade didn't die a special death. He died in a bed in the middle of a containment center, holding the hand of a child that loved him more than any child ever could in the span of a few mere days. He died surrounded by friends in a world that kills most in brutal, unforgiving fashion. Crushed skulls, spilled organs, slit throats, or even ripped apart. Kade died in a merciful way by today's standards.

Nick unplugs the heart monitor to kill the not haunting noise of death, and opens the window slowly. We begin to hear footsteps approaching the door, and know it is now or never.

I whisper goodbye to a diamond in a world of coal, and climb out the window, my heart aching all over; both physically and mentally.

Nick closes the window behind us, and we simply run from the facility, wiping the tears from our eyes as we sprint. We can't let Bogo catch us.

My lungs ache an incredible amount from the beating I received, and my shin feels as though it may split in half. I run, anyways, not looking back. We take a right into the woods, and into the complete unknown.

No car, no food, no weapons.

No Kade.

No lead on where to head next.

We run into the trees recklessly, having no other options now.

But there's nowhere to run, nowhere to hide.

Only us, alone but together.

Alone in this harsh world that I will _never_ get used to.

 **Bogo POV- 98 minutes later**

They just don't get it, do they? I try to handle this peacefully with a civilized deal, but they let them slip away yet again.

I stand at the entrance to the lab that claims they have my targets, held at gunpoint by ten guards.

"Where are they?!" I ask loudly.

They stand in silence, and then I sniff the air to pick up their scents.

 _They aren't in there._

They've escaped once again. They've slipped away from my clutches once more; something I never imagined would ever occur.

"How dare you let this happen?!" I scream at security, as they point their guns at me.

"We didn't get the cure, so you don't get them! It's simple!" one of the orangutans yells to me.

My anger burns within my very soul, and I launch myself at them as they fire at me. I immediately pick the leader up, tearing his head from his shoulders with a bloodthirsty grin.

They fire at me, but I barely feel the pain. I punch them with the force of a giant sledgehammer, tearing them to bits, biting, chewing, ripping and screaming. I'm a beast, a monster, no longer human. I have no regrets, no mercy. They scream in horror as guts are spilled, and after it's all said and done, I stand, panting, surrounded by body parts. I'm bleeding from their bullets, but I lost the ability to care long ago.

"COME BACK!" I roar with all the air in my lungs into the sky.

 _If only they knew the bigger picture._

 **Sad, but crazy chapter, yes, I know. So Bogo _really_ wants the three heroes quite badly, huh? He even made a deal with the mysterious lab to take Judy, Nick and Avery back. Why does he need them so badly, and not the cure itself? Now, they're stuck in the wilderness without any supplies, with notable injuries both physically and mentally. Kade's wounds were too major, sadly. Although only alive for a few chapters, he was still quite a respectable guy. Anyways, quite a long chapter. If something seems off, or confusing, don't worry. All will be explained in time...**

 **Thanks for reading, and please leave your thoughts in the reviews! Until next time!**


	15. The Unseen

**Seabiskut- Thanks, Kade ;D Really appreciate it!**

 **Crazyanimaltlou- Thanks, and will do!**

 **Brambleclaw- Glad you're liking it!**

 **TttytyZoo- Thanks, glad you like it!**

 **Vivanai- True, very true. :(**

 **PoisonChimera- Death doesn't end what can't be destroyed... ;)**

 **SparkleyUnihorse- Thanks, and I'm glad that I made you feel emotional just with a fictional scene. That's what's great about writing!**

 **Mayun- Hah, yeah. I think Bogo has other things in mind...**

 **Zootopians- Thanks! And yeah, I didn't want to kill him off so soon, but that's not to say...eh, never mind ;)**

 **Dagger- It's just overwhelming, isn't it? :0**

 **Zootopian25- Thanks :)**

 **JustASlyFox- I don't pressure myself, I just type fast ;) and thank you!**

 **1-800fangirl- Lack of sleep! Ah, I know the feel. And sorry about the "human" error, lol. I'm _pretty_ sure Bogo isn't a human. Thanks for the awesome thoughts, just as always!**

 **kingsofrugan- :(**

 **daboss12349- Thanks for the support!**

 **Welcome back for Chapter 15 of _Tales of Turmoil!_ Anyways, just wanted to thank everyone for the continued support! I had low expectations coming in, so I'm glad to see my first real story doing so well! Without readers, my story wouldn't really be...you know, anything at all, so thank you guys so much! Anyways, poor Kade! He just had to be gone so soon...**

 **Well, don't want to keep you waiting! Enjoy Chapter 15!**

 **Nick POV**

I eye the dark woods around me with a feeling of dread; dreading whatever is to come next. My mind is like a storm, whirling around like an out of control vortex, scrambling my thoughts all around my head. My stomach in in a knot, and I seem to be out of options for what to do next. This wasn't part of the plan. We were doing so well, until...whatever that was happened.

 _If only we didn't stop in that town._

I glance around at Judy and Avery, the three of us completely exasperated after a lengthy run through the woods. Judy sits on a stump, tending to her throbbing leg as I sit beside her with Avery at my side. The poor little guy, he's far from okay. I presume the death of Kade reminded him quite a bit of his brother, so he's understandably broken on the inside. It hurts me to see us like this, considering we were doing so well just days ago...the four of us, we seemed like a great team.

 _And now we're torn apart._

Tears run down Judy's face as the rubs her leg. I prepare a wrap for the injured spot, and Avery continues to sit in silence, no longer able to produce actual tears. He just sits on a rock beside the tree stump Judy and I are sitting on staring straight at the ground.

"What-" Judy begins, but coughs loudly, cringing at the pain in her lungs, "What do we do now?" she asks, void of blatant emotion.

"I dunno...what do they do in survival movies?" I ask.

"Remember Zombitopia?" she asks me, and I realize again how foreboding that night was.

"Yeah...everything was so easy for them...they didn't have Ole Bogs stalking their every move" I say.

"But...just...what do we even do now? We don't have anything! We...we don't even know where we are" Judy tells me in a panicked tone.

She's right. It's very tough to answer her question optimistically because...well, consider the obvious truth: we're stuck out here with nothing except each other and one handgun with eight bullets left in the clip.

"I don't know, Carrots...remember when we were stuck in that night-howler base with no way to escape, and then eventually, we found a way out in the least likely place?"

"Yeah" she answers.

"Well, what I'm trying to say is...we'll think of something. We're the best cops in Zo-"

"Don't kid yourself, Nick. We aren't even cops anymore" she says glumly, something I'm not used to seeing from Judy.

"We're still the same people" I tell her, kissing her gently on the cheek, which elicits a small grin from her.

I then investigate my injured left hand, still curious about the extent of the burn. I take it that having no feeling in the hand is _not_ a good sign, so I decide not to take the tightly wrapped bandage-cast-thing off so soon.

"Hey, Avery, c'mere a second" I say.

He slides off the small rock and stumbles over to me, looking very dazed emotionally. I really do feel horrible for him, especially seeing the look on his face when Kade passed.

I examine his scarred face, which hopefully isn't causing him any pain, as he has been through quite enough already.

"Does it look bad?" he asks me.

I shake my head to say no, but my mind doesn't quite agree with my body language.

The burn mark goes all the way from his ear to midway across his face, and although it isn't too deep, it's still very noticeable.

"You're fine, buddy" I tell him with the best smile I can muster.

He falls into my body, pulling me into a hug, and he starts crying again. Judy bites her lip as she watches, not wanting to fall into a fit of sobs as well.

"I don't want to die this young!" Avery tells me through his tears, and my heart sinks. Being completely realistic, although we are immune, it's only a matter of time until we are eaten or ripped apart. However, the only thing that feels as though its being ripped apart at this moment is my heart. I don't feel this much, I'll admit, but my heart right now truly _hurts_ for Avery. Judy holds his hand as he cries into my chest, but I realize; the longer we sit here, the closer Bogo gets, and he can't be far behind.

After a few more seconds of sobbing, I hold Avery's head, and look into his eyes.

"Hey, I promise we're gonna be okay" I tell him as convincingly as possible,

After a few moments of sniffing, he nods, and I turn to Judy with a slightly serious expression.

"If we don't get moving, he's going to catch up, fast" I tell her.

"That's true" she says, "We need to find out where we are".

That's completely true. We have _no_ idea where we are at this point in time. We could be near the west coast as we were before, or we could be back near Zootopia. We were abducted in a helicopter, which means quick travel, so by those means, we could be anywhere.

"Maybe we'll make it out of the woods soon" I say, and then motion for us to continue, trying not to choke up at Avery's uncharacteristic depressing state.

We walk fast, not wanting to waste a second anymore. Bogo could be mere miles away, or even less. What does he want with us? He says we're immune, but it's not the cure he's after. There's something more to this.

Then, I hear it again.

"Nick" I hear the voice mutter.

I look up from the ground, and see something quickly hide behind a tree a few meters ahead.

"J-Judy...there's someone else here" I tell her in a shaky voice.

"Get your gun ready" she advises.

I approach the tree perhaps hiding a sure threat, never wanting to let any harm Judy or Avery's way. I quickly jump around the side of the tree, gun pointed, but to my surprise, nothing is there.

 _Not this again._

"J-Judy...it's happening again" I tell her.

However, another voice quite near me blocks out her response.

"Aren't you glad I'm here?" the sinister voice asks.

 _It's my father again._

I feel pure terror at the sheer sound of his voice, and turn around in circles.

"Where-"

"Up here" he replies, and I gaze up.

What I see is not even something I can envision in my nightmares; bright glowing eyes with blood leaking from the eyelids, teeth serrated in grotesque fashion, it's sharp claws covered in red, with growths all along it's body. There's _no way_ this can be my father.

I can't speak, but I notice Judy and Avery looking up as well, but on the contrary, not looking scared at all.

 _It's just your mind_ , I tell myself, _Dad is long gone by now._

I can't help but be disgusted with myself for calling him my father, but regardless, I cannot look away from the searing eyes staring straight into my soul.

"Nick! There's nothing there!" Judy informs me loudly.

I stare ahead of me, not daring to stare up into the eyes of the creature above me.

"You're right" I tell her.

I glance back up, and the demon is out of sight once more, and I shrug, the image of the beast still bothering me.

"I'm still here" the voice says in a bone-chilling tone, though the creature before me looks nothing like my father. This is something else.

I feel a presence at my side, and I know the creature is right beside me.

"Nick" it says to me, sending chills down my spine.

I continue to walk, breathing faster and faster, drawing tons of concern from Judy. Avery tries to keep up, but I don't dare tell him of the things I am seeing.

"No need to run, Nick. You don't need to hide" it tells me in a voice now sounding nothing like my father's.

I am nearly running now, and Judy tries to get my attention.

"Nick?! What's bothering you?" she asks.

I don't respond, but I simply try to block out the voice continuing to speak into my head.

"Just give yourself to Bogo" the voice says, now sounding quite savage in nature.

"Shut up!" I yell to it, knowing that words will do nothing.

Then, Judy stops walking.

"Carrots, come on!" I scream to her, the voice now uttering senseless words in my head, possibly a different language.

"I'm seeing Gideon again, Nick!" she informs me in terror.

"Where?" I ask, ignoring the voices in my head.

"There!"

I turn around, seeing the demonic creature from just moments ago.

"Wait...he's changing..." she tells me, "he looks like something out of a horror movie".

"Red, flaming eyes?" I ask her.

"Yeah".

"Blood on his mouth?"

"Uh huh".

"We're seeing the same thing" I tell her.

The being slowly approaches us, looking somewhat like an ape, except without true fur. His teeth are covered in blood, and fire is visible in his core through various cracks in his skin. What does this thing want from us?

"You another of Bogo's dum-dums?" I ask it cynically.

He wails in laughter, stopping mere feet in front of us. He wears leather clothing, and stands perhaps three feet taller than me.

"You can't be serious" he tells me, "Do you not know what's going on?"

Judy and I glance at each other, and then we shake our heads.

The creature sighs, and crosses his arms.

"Perhaps I wouldn't be the best at explaining, then" he states.

"You shape shift" Judy states in awe.

"Well, would you look at that? We gotta genius here!" he howls.

"We don't have time for games" I state sternly.

Avery hides behind me as he puts on a false intimidated look, and speaks again.

"Oh, how dare I not introduce myself! My name is...err...Clovis. A bit unorthodox, I know, but you can't blame me. People don't name themselves you know! Anyways, it's my mission to get you to Bogo".

I sigh loudly with a noticeable eye roll.

"Come _on_! Why is everyone in the world suddenly Bogo's little stooge?" I ask.

"Hah! Stooge of Bogo? Never! I'm just here to stalk you and report back to Bogo so that he knows where you are, because he is the chosen one. And I suppose I should note...you know, that I'm not really part of _this_ world".

Here we go.

"Wait, _what?_ " Judy asks.

"See!"

He sticks his hand straight through Judy's torso, and removes it with no damage done to her.

"So you've been stalking us ever since we left Zootopia?" I ask.

"Sure have" he says semi-proudly, floating in mid air with his arms folded behind his head, and his legs crossed.

 _He's the reason we've been seeing all of these visions and hearing voices!_

"And you mentally tortured us with visions of our pasts for what reason exactly?" Judy asks him.

"Just to slow you down. Bogo, he's almost here, so there's no need to hide myself anymore".

So we go from deranged, violent citizens, to intelligent, murderous monsters, to...whatever this is.

"So, are you like a spirit?" Judy asks.

"Well, everyone has a spirit. I...don't think trying to explain is best for me to do, but you'll know in time. Until then!"

He puts his hand on his forehead, and solutes us sarcastically, before disappearing as quickly as he came.

I don't have time to ponder the situation, as I hear the words he said echoing in my mind, and I slowly begin to comprehend what the being had said:

 _Bogo isn't far behind..._

"It's probably just a mirage or something" I tell Judy and Avery, not sounding very convincing, to which neither of them responds.

We continue walking, completely dumbfounded; reality itself seeming completely broken. I stare ahead at the trees of the forest, deep in thought about the world before me.

 _Obviously I'm just dreaming or something. Yeah, that's right, this is all just a dream!_

I pinch myself to get myself out of this realm, but succeed in no way. Judy watches me with an amused expression as I sigh deeply.

"We aren't dreaming, Nick" she tells me.

"Then _please_ explain to me why we are seeing and _talking_ to...weird, spirit...things! I don't understand what's going on, Judy!" I tell her with frustration.

She nods in obvious understanding, not being able to comprehend what we just saw either. It _had_ to have been a mirage. After all, we haven't had water in quite a while.

"I don't know either, Nick" she tells me honestly, "what I want to know is why Bogo wants us _so_ much".

Bogo has been absolutely relentless in tracking us down, for reasons that remain unknown. With the level of pursuit we've been facing, one would think that Bogo truly _needs_ us for something. I doubt an infected would be interested in a cure, so nothing really lines up. That weirdo Clovis, Bogo, the infected, and everything else. None of it seems to fit the world that I think I know...

We have bigger concerns, however. We lack food, water, supplies and weapons. I have a few first aid supplies in my pockets, and a pistol with limited ammo. Oh, and the grenade I found from the van in the town from a few days back. I doubt any of this will keep us alive for longer than a few days, though.

"So, first things first: we need water, I mean, unless we want _more_ hallucinations" I state.

"Yeah. Best thing we can do right now is forget any of that happened" Judy suggests.

"Well, this might help" Avery states, handing me his cell phone.

"H-how do you still have this?!" I ask him.

He shrugs.

"Left it in my coat pocket. Sorry I didn't tell ya sooner" he mumbles, still sounding extremely down.

I unlock the phone, and the time reads: _6:02 AM_. The sun hasn't quite risen yet, so the darkness of night still engulf us. I click the weather app with haste, desperate to see our location.

 _Del Fonte Forest_ , the phone reads.

"Where exactly is that?!" Judy asks.

"Well it's in Califurnia, so we haven't gone far" I tell her.

 _Such a cheesy name for a state,_ I think to myself.

I search for the distance between Los Animales and Del Fonte, and to my surprise, we aren't too far from where we started, and we are also quite near the coast.

"We're about a five hour drive from Los Animales" Avery says, pointing at the screen.

"Yeah, but what would be the point in going back there? Especially without Kade" Judy says.

"Nothing there for us except certain death" I say, "but then again, where in the world _isn't_ there certain death?"

 **Judy POV- 7:52 AM**

We've been walking for hours now, and Avery's phone battery is dangerously low. We continue to avert the topic of the "hallucination" from not too long ago, still all quite dazed by it.

"These woods...they have to be endless!" I say.

"Aw, stop being such a pessimist, Carrots" Nick says with a smirk, knowing negativity is supposed to be the opposite of my true nature.

"Come on, give me a break. Look at the circumstances! I'm actually being _pretty_ positive for a bunny who's lost practically everything. And remember, bunnies are supposed to be _so_ emotional" I end with a mutter.

"Hey, look on the bright side. No more paying taxes!" he says with a wink.

"You should know something about not paying taxes" I tell him.

He shrugs as we walk.

"What can I say? I'm a sly fox" he states.

"You _try_ to be" I say, poking him in the side.

"You know you loveit" he responds with a playful grin.

"Watch out for that tree".

"What tr-"

Nick slams into the tree, and holds his nose, blushing as he does so.

"Ouch" he says plainly.

I can't help but laugh irregardless of the world around me, and even the downcast Avery giggles a bit at the event that just unfolded. Yes, we're alone, yes, we're seeing weird beings that talk in fancy accents, and yes, we're without any supplies of any sort. But sometimes I need to remember that we still have each other. Kade, he will be missed, but we need to be happy for him and move on.

"So, bozo, how close we getting to the coast?" I ask him.

He continues to rub his nose as he glances at the phone screen.

"For your information, I'm not bozo; Bogo is" he says, forcing a grin, "But the woods should clear up in just a minute. We're getting there" he informs me.

I lean down beside him as he sits on the ground, and look in his eyes.

"You need to stop with the random-bumping into things. It's getting _way_ too cute".

He stands up, and wipes the dust from his jacket.

"Me, cute? I just accidentally ran into a tree. Maybe I'm secretly a tree hugger or something".

I pull him in and kiss him again, still retaining my love for him through each and every tumultuous day.

"Well then" Avery says, raising his eyebrows.

We separate, both smiling, and I glance at Avery.

"I guess we should be trying to escape, you know, Bogo. We can save the kissing for another time" Nick says teasingly.

"Right" I say with a touch of blush, and we continue on.

Eventually we reach a clearing, although the ocean is still not in view.

"So why exactly are we going to the coast?" Nick asks.

"Oh...well, I thought you had something in mind" I respond with confusion.

"Well, I mean, the island idea is the best we have at the moment. Traveling out into the countryside seems like a sure deathtrap. I mean, we don't have a car or anything" he slowly says.

"You're still up for Jickery Island!?" Avery asks with sudden enthusiasm.

"Well...I..." Nick begins to say, but then stops for a moment before continuing, "I guess that would be fine. But I don't know how we'll get food and fresh water...not to mention guns and ammo for any infected that make it to us".

I grasp my chin with my hand in thought.

"You're right. Maybe we can go back and forth between an island and the shore to get supplies every few days...I mean, that's the highest chance we have of making it out here. We have to find a boat too".

"But...it's totally worth it!" Avery shouts, now ecstatic about the idea.

"There's several islands right near the shore, so finding one won't be a problem. It's just, we can't ever expect life to be easy again. And what about Bogo? What do we do about him?" I ask Nick.

"What if he really _does_ mean no harm?" Nick asks, pondering the possibility.

"He's infected, Nick. He's just trying to draw us in, and then he'll strike! And trust me, I've been beaten by a rabbit, and it was...real bad. Now imagine being smacked around by some weird, powered up buffalo!" I persuade.

"Yeah, but I mean, there's always that possibility. You're right though. He probably just wants to kill us so that there won't _ever_ be a cure" Nick speaks.

We walk along the grassy hills; not quite flat enough to be plains, but no longer wooded enough to be a forest. The sun beams across the shaken land, trying it's best to pierce the gloomy atmosphere of Earth, but hits an impenetrable field of negative energy.

As we walk down a hill, we pass an old barn, looking quite worn down. Chatter doesn't fill the air at this time; only silence in admiration of the rising sun, quite a beautiful sight. My heartbeat has finally begun to settle down since the supernatural occurrence earlier, and I hold Nick's hand tight.

We peek inside the barn for anything of use, but nothing immediately reveals itself. I begin to close the doors back as we turn away to resume our long walk to the shore, but then a low, threatening growl draws my attention back to the barn.

"Nick-" I begin to say, but the doors burst open, throwing me to the ground as I scream.

A recently infected coyote bursts out of the doors, howling in demented fashion, biting at Nick with ferocity. Luckily, Nick dodges out of the way, pulling Avery with him. The beast swiftly turns around to attack once more, and Nick fires two bullets into it's skull. The coyote yelps in pain, but continues biting at Nick, quite obviously going for the kill.

I rush at it and land the hardest kick I can muster to it's neck area, and I hear a pop. The animal screams in agony, and falls to the ground, struggling to keep itself conscious. I back away, in awe of the blow I just landed, luckily with my non-injured leg.

Nick and Avery rush over to me, my entire leg still burning in pain from my prior injuries.

"Fluff! You okay?" Nick asks me with blatant concern.

I nod, although catering to my leg.

I watch as the animal begins breathing harder, and sinks completely down to the soil. The wheezing sounds it's making signal a very-near death; but what intrigues me, however, are the eyes of the animal. As the animal's breathing begins to slow, it stares into my eyes, not with hate, but with a look of sorrow. I even pity the look in the creature's eyes, as I no longer see a monster. I see the coyote that used to control the body, thanking me for releasing him from the prison that used to hold him him. And then, it speaks.

"You can fix this. I know you can".

 **Wow, what the heck does that mean? They _can_ fix this? Or can they? Maybe the infected coyote was just speaking nonsense...or maybe he wasn't. Who even knows? Not me! Or do I? The world may never know. Anyways, Chapter 16 will be up soon enough. Be sure to leave your thoughts in the reviews, and thanks for reading! Until next time!**


	16. Lightning Strikes

**Eya145- Thanks, means a lot :)**

 **King Dedede- Will do m8**

 **BonkBoy1921- Thanks, and sorry about that! Bad habit ;D**

 **PointyHairedJedi- Thanks so much! Glad you like it so much!**

 **Crazyanimaltlou- Thanks!**

 **Dagger- It's normal to have a lot of questions, lol. It's not a story that's easy to understand...yet.**

 **Vivaniai- Supernatural? Don't know about that... ;)**

 **SparkleyUnihorse- Good or bad emojis? ;0**

 **Not much to say today, besides the fact that the story is almost over. Wait, _what?_ That's right, there are eighteen chapters in this story (Yes, I am making a sequel). If you have any questions or concerns, leave them in the reviews. Anyways, enjoy Chapter 16!**

 **9:04 AM- Nick POV**

I stare ahead at the hill in front of us with a ping of positivity.

 _One last hurdle._

Behind the mound lies the ocean, and the island that will soon be ours. Perhaps the island will be an escape from the world we've become accustomed to. Maybe it will give us time to actually think; which may not be a good thing. Or maybe the plan will fail miserably.

 _Think positively, Nick._

 _Is that supposed to come naturally in times like these?_

 _Well, no, but keep hoping for the best._

Judy, she's looked pretty dazed ever since we offed the coyote a few miles back. It did utter a few words that I didn't quite understand, so I shook it off, but maybe that's what's bothering her. Perhaps the coyote told her something ominous or unsettling.

 _Yeah, that's gotta be it._

"Hey, Carrots, did that coyote say something, y'know, when it died?" I ask her softly.

She looks up at me from the the colorful rock in her hands; one that she found on the ground a few minutes back.

"Yeah, actually. It did say something" she answers.

"Is that what's eatin' you?" I question.

"Eating me? Well, I don't know about that..."

I glance at her with a look that I'm being serious.

"He...he just said that we can fix everything; all this" she says, "And I dunno...it's just been bothering me. I mean, what infected creature would tell us that? What if the infected still have their original souls? What if they're still the same people?"

"Aw, come on! If everyone is still themselves then why is everyone super-violent and psychotic? I mean, even _we_ are starting to see weird, ghost-things and stuff like that" I reply, not really taking her words into consideration.

"This is just all so weird. We came from being the best two police officers in Zootopia to the two most wanted people in the world, and I have no idea why" she says slowly.

"You're right, Fluff. There's something more to this, and it's only a matter of time until we figure it out".

 _What if we can fix all this?_

 _How?_

 _Good question._

 _They're beyond any sort of help._

 _You're immune. There has to be some way to help._

 _They'll kill me._

 _You'll die regardless in a world like this._

I sigh, battling with my conscience as I walk up the hill Judy and Avery at my side.

"Hey, Avery, how ya holdin' up?" I ask the child, as he sings quietly to himself.

"Oh, I'm...hangin' in there" he says with a light grin, his big, aqua blue eyes looking so hurt, although managing to hold in his pain.

"It's okay to be sad, Avery" Judy tells him, "I'm sad too. I'm sad about how the world has changed; how it's become such a...such a tornado of absolute madness. I'm sad about seeing so many people die; my parents, Clawhauser, all of our co-officers...and Kade. I'm sad that we can never again live feeling secure, or safe. But I mean, even though I'm sad about stuff like that, I still manage to look on the bright side. I have a fox who cares about me and loves me" she says, looking at me sweetly, "and I also have the coolest, cutest, sweetest hedgehog in the world with me too".

Avery raises his eyebrows at the compliment.

"So I mean, life is still life. As long as I don't lose you guys, we'll always be the same people, and we'll never be alone" she finishes.

"Well, duh, because that weirdo spirit guy is watching us every second of our lives. Not to mention Bogo being on our backs twenty-four-seven" I say jokingly, "But being serious, you're right, Carrots. I can't imagine life without you guys" I say, looking lovingly at her.

She beams at my words, and tries to grab hold of my hand romantically.

"Oww!" I yell, realizing the hand Judy grabbed hold of is my injured one.

"Oh my gosh! I'm sorry!" she yells, covering her face with grief.

Then, I start laughing.

"Just kiddin'! I don't feel anything in that hand anymore, remember?" I remind her with a smirk .

She rolls her eyes, and shoves me playfully.

"Wilde! I thought I actually hurt you!" she says with a raised voice.

"Well, I mean, you might have. I just didn't _feel_ it!" I state, "Come to think of it I think I heard a few pops..."

"Oh shut up!" she giggles.

"Here, this better for you?" I ask, switching to her other side.

"Yes, yes it is" she says, grabbing hold of my non-injured hand.

I notice Avery is actually laughing at the whole situation, which is quite a relief. I don't want Kade's death to keep him down for too long. I smile even wider at the joy I seem to be causing to the kid, as we begin to crest the hill at last.

"Well..." I mutter in anticipation.

The sight is quite extraordinary; the horizon gleaming as the sunlight reflects off of the ocean waters, the few buildings between us and the shore looking quite promising in terms of supplies, and most beautiful of all, several boats are docked to the shore.

"Yes!" we practically all scream simultaneously at the sight, beginning to move faster towards hopefully a better future. For the first time in a while, something has exceeded my expectations.

Walking downhill isn't easy for Judy to do with her injured leg, so I help her along. Avery is back to his bouncy self now, making up obnoxious songs about "Jickery Island". However, it doesn't annoy me quite as much now as it did a few days ago.

"First, we need to find at least _some_ sort of food. Then, we'll worry about guns and ammo. According to the satellite image, there's like a pond of some sort on the island, so we're okay on fresh water to drink" Judy tells us, the dream that once seemed quite impossible now becoming our future.

"Jickery Island! It's _happening!_ " Avery yells in a singsong voice.

"Well, we hope so" I tell him. After all, it's not like we have any other options, as I've said before. What if we can't get the boats started? What if we can't find any food? We better hope the island has some sort of carrots or fruits, or something like that.

"You gotta admit; you guys are totally my parents now" he proclaims proudly.

"Well..." I begin, looking at Judy.

She simply nods with a glint of love in her eye.

"Yeah, I guess you could say we are" I finish.

"Well duh! If the world wasn't...crazy, you guys would get married. And you could like, adopt me!" he tells us loudly.

I can't help but blush at the mention of marriage, as its something I haven't really thought much about. I have to admit though, there's nothing I'd rather do than marry Judy. It's extremely cheesy to say, but she truly does complete me. She puts the "N" in "Nick". Without her, I'm just "Ick". I guess...well, I know spending the rest of my life with her would be _pretty_ amazing.

"I guess that would be a possibility" Judy answers before I can, winking at me.

"Yep. Like I said, you guys are the best ship out there!" he adds.

"I still don't get that" I tell him.

 _He thinks we're a boat?_

"Come _on_? Didn't you ever go on the internet before all this began?" he asks me.

"I did, but-"

"It basically just means two people that _need_ to be together. I mean, you guys are kind of together now, but you guys are just _meant_ for each other!" he informs us.

I look into Judy's eyes, and then back at Avery.

"I guess you could say we are" I say.

We finally reach the doors of a small gas station convenience store, hoping for any supplies we can scavenge, being as cautious as we can with only one gun. Immediately after peering inside, I notice quite a bit of food, but no sort of ammo or guns.

 _Well, it is a convenience store._

The door shuts behind us, _of course_ happening to close right on my tail.

"Ow!" I shout, and Judy whirls around to face me with an expression demanding an explanation.

"It closed...on...ow" I whimper.

"Slick, Nick" she whispers.

"Sorry!" I whisper, gesturing for us to resume searching.

Avery finds a pack of brownies and hops up and down in excitement.

"Get a grocery cart" Judy says to me, "We can't just carry everything".

"Very true, clever bunny".

I walk over to the doorway we passed through just moments before, and grab a shopping cart, and a lone, torn-off bear paw falls onto the floor as I tug the cart out of the line.

"Lovely" I say aloud.

I roll the cart back over to Judy and Avery, as she tries to stop him from grabbing everything he can, causing him to pout in a childish manner.

"Aw, come on! You know how much I like ice cream!" he says, staring at the mini-freezer.

"I know, but we don't _need_ ice cream. And it's melted" she says.

"So it would be like a milkshake? I love milkshakes!"

"No, no! Just...keep looking" Judy tells him exasperatedly.

He shrugs, and begins scanning through the other shelves.

"Here ya go. One grocery cart" I say, rolling it up beside her.

She tosses a pack of Carrot Puffs into the cart.

"Does _everything_ you eat need to be carrot flavored?"

She tosses a pack of powered donuts in the cart in response, giving me a small smile.

"Um, carrots?"

"Yeah?"

"Those are carrot-cake powered donuts" I inform her, squinting my eyes at her teasingly.

"Oh, right" she says with an embarrassed expression.

"Those actually sound good, though" I tell her.

"A fox that likes carrots? I'm amazed" she says, bumping me playfully with her shoulder.

"Do you mean the vegetable or yourself?" I ask with a wink.

We both laugh, enjoying every moment we experience like this. Life doesn't come stuffed with good memories anymore, so cherishing the little things comes naturally for us now.

"What're you lovebirds laughin' about?" Avery asks us, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, nothing" Judy tells him.

Avery dumps an armful of junk foods into the cart with an innocent look, and then bounces back over to the shelves to continue his raid. All signs of sadness are gone from him now, and he seems like his usual self. I can see why he annoyed his parents, but I'm actually pretty happy that he's back to his obnoxious, quirky, bright self. I mean, that's just who Avery is.

"Get a few more...essentials, and then we'll get going" I tell Judy.

"Yeah, can't waste much time, can we?" she responds, recalling Bogo.

After taking a few more items, and finally garnering Avery's attention away from the various food items, we travel back outside, rolling our grocery cart. The scraping noise the wheels make against the pavement provide an easy way for any infected to locate us, as their hearing seems to already be enhanced, but it's our only option.

"If we're sighted, we're screwed. Y'know that?" Avery informs me.

"Yep, but I mean, you gotta be optimistic. Right Hopps?" I ask Judy.

"That's what my parents always taught me" she responds.

"So, let's just think positive! No one's going to see or hear us, and we're going to make it to Jickery Island completely unharmed!" I say a bit cynically.

"Yeah, right!" Avery says sarcastically, pointing to his burned face.

"Well...we'll make it there alive" I tell him with a wink.

We are now approaching the docks, and I know that in order to get to an island, we have to find a key to a boat first. We also need to find someone or some place to scavenge for ammo and guns, something we won't survive long-term without.

"There is no escaping" a familiar voice speaks.

Judy and Avery also react to the voice, so I know it isn't just my mind playing tricks on me.

"Not this again" I say aloud.

The voice of...whatever his name was never speaks again, and we simply shrug it off and continue walking.

 _It's gotta be another mirage._

We finally reach a pier, and I stare out into the ocean with awe and wonder. It looks limitless from this angle, yet so mysterious. I think back to the first time I went to the beach with my family long ago; so happy, so bright, and so blissful. Before my father went off the edge, and my mother was still there to take care of me; back when you could take things in granted in life. I remember the feeling of not having to worry constantly, and knowing I could be secure in who I am, and in everything that happened in life. Well, until the whole scouts incident, which I don't want to think about.

"It's so blue!" Avery comments about the water.

"Sure is" Judy speaks.

We take a moment to admire the view, and then I speak.

"Here's the plan. I _really_ hate to split up because, y'know, we have buffalo that has gone bonkers on our tail. So, let's leave the food here and we can look for guns and ammo together" I propose.

"As you wish, King Wilde!" Judy exclaims with a smirk.

I give her a quick kiss, just in case Bogo does arrive soon and decides to crash our party, to which she grins at vividly, and then giggles.

"There'll be time for that on Jickery Island" Avery informs us, "Remember, we don't have much time until that weird guy shows up again".

"Oh, right" I say meekly, my heart beating faster now even though the kiss lasted less than two seconds.

"Well c'mon, let's get moving" Judy says, poking me in the side playfully, knowing I'm ticklish there.

We cautiously move towards a small shack, knowing that perhaps it could contain something of use. I guess you could say finding _anything_ would be a blessing.

I gradually creak open the old wooden door, and peer inside.

"I need a flashlight" I tell Judy, and she hands me Avery's cell phone, warning me that the phone is dangerously low in terms of battery life.

I shine the light into the shack, bracing myself for a sudden attack, if one were to happen. Nothing immediately sparks my interest, that is until I spot a metal tool box in the corner.

"Be right back" I mutter, walking over to it. I bend down and reach for the handle, and pick it up, wiping off cobwebs.

 _Well, better hope it's something useful._

I slowly walk back out, and close the door behind me, as Judy and Avery glare at the box curiously.

"That a tool box?" Avery asks.

"Sure is" I say, putting it on the ground to open.

"Maybe it has ammo!" Judy guesses.

"Maybe it has food!" Avery adds.

Judy and I both stare at Avery in aggravation, and he nervously laughs.

"You can never have too much food!"

 **Judy POV**

Nick opens the large tool box, as it isn't locked, luckily. Besides the shack, there aren't many other options for guns and ammo. There's the gas station, a gift shop, and the shack, along with the pier in front of us with several parked boats.

"Well..." Nick says, opening the box.

There seems to be a few screwdrivers, duct tape, and a wrench, but nothing that will keep us alive. He then lifts up the tray to reveal another compartment, which luckily holds two items of particular use.

"Is that...a taser?" I ask him.

"Yep" he replies, handing it to me, "And not a fox taser for once!"

I smile as he continues searching the second compartment.

"Aha!" he exclaims, lifting a chain of several keys out of the box, "These might come in handy later on".

He continues searching, but finds nothing else useful.

"We could check the boats" I suggest.

"Yeah, but finding ammo in one of those isn't very likely" he states, "But it couldn't hurt".

He sticks the keys in his pockets casually, and we begin walking down the pier. The wood makes unsettling squeaky noises, provoking us to walk a bit softer.

"We don't want to go for a swim today, do we?" Nick asks jokingly.

"Well, I do _like_ swimming" Avery replies, looking as though he's pondering the idea.

"Don't even think about it" Nick tells him, knowing very well that Avery would jump in the water without a second thought if he had the chance.

Avery sighs in disappointment as we continue walking, until we come to a halt in front of a large yacht.

"Wow, the person that owned this _must_ be rich" Nick declares, as we gaze in awe at the flashy boat, "Maybe they owned an unreasonable amount of guns!" he hopes.

As he begins looking through the drawers and safes on-board the boat, I hear a low rumble off in the distance. It sounds nothing like a helicopter this time, but more like that of a car engine.

 _Someone else is here._

"Nick! Listen!" I tell him, as he stops searching a chest full of personal belongings.

"Is that..."

"We aren't alone" I tell him.

"The food!" Avery yells.

We basically robbed the store of most of it's food supply, so what if the owner is returning for revenge? What if it's an infected? What if-

"Come on!" Nick says, beginning to run back towards the beginning of the pier; to our food supply.

I run to catch up to him, ignoring the fiery pain in my leg.

"Shouldn't we just try to escape while we can?" I yell to him as we run.

"We won't last without food!" he yells back.

We finally arrive at our grocery cart, and see that none of it has been stolen. We let out a sigh of relief, but the sound of a car engine is getting closer and closer. We realize that this could end very badly, but what other choice do we have?

The car is in view now, looking quite fresh in appearance. The vehicle appears to be a newer model; some sort of sports car, painted red, with a skull on the hood of the car.

 _Well, that's a great sign._

The dust of the road floats into the air behind it as it drives closer and closer, and I grab hold of Nick's hand, and then Avery grabs hold of mine. Nick has his pistol in his belt, ready to be used as soon as he needs it. He lets go of my hand for a moment in order to hand me the taser, in case the situation demands it.

After what seems like an eternity, the car comes to a halt, the dust and sand gathering around it.

 _Here we go._

 _"What?_..." Nick mutters, and I finally realize who is behind the wheel.

"Oh my god..."

"Well, good to see you again!" Bogo says, stepping out of the car.

My eyes widen as I stare ahead at him.

"Didn't expect me to show up like this, huh?" he says coolly.

"How did...how did you get a car?" I ask as he stands beside it, watching us.

"I have my ways, Hopps. Now you know, wherever you go, whatever you do, I will be right there waiting for you" he tells us grimly.

Nick actually laughs at what he says.

"Gotta admit, that was a good one!" he tells Bogo.

"Of course it was" he states, his eyes glowing bright red, "Now, you have to come with me and let me explain. I don't want to hurt you" he claims.

"Yeah, right! You're an infected! You lie about everything!" I yell to him.

"Do you really think that I would pursue you all the way across the country just to kill you?" he asks with a snicker, "Of course not! There's more to this than you can see!"

I take a moment to think, before looking at Nick.

"I got this, Carrots" he whispers, before moving towards him, much against my will.

"No! Nick!" I whisper loudly to him.

"Well, someone has come to their senses!" Bogo says, crossing his arms and looking at me with a frightening look.

I watch Nick saunter slowly towards the car, not speaking a word. I see him reach into his jacket, and I hear a click; the sound of a hand on a clock ticking to the next second. It takes me a moment to realize what is about to unfold, as Nick stops perhaps two meters from Bogo's car, suddenly adopting a look of complete defiance. I feel Avery's hand tighten in mine as the tense moment becomes almost unbearable to watch.

Nick pulls his hand from his jacket, and Bogo's eyes widen. Nick holds our only grenade in his hand, as he winds his hand back, and throws the grenade into the open, warm Califurnian air. I want this to end Bogo once and for all; I want this to rid us of the burden before us. I watch the grenade rotate in slow motion it seems, also noticing the feral look on Nick's face as the grenade flies.

Bogo begins to dive away from his vehicle in a desperate attempt to escape the blast radius, but perhaps he is too late.

I feel a blast of warm air, and the deafening sound of the explosion. I see Nick fly into the air, and I see the car blasted to smithereens. I see Nick hit the ground on his back, not looking badly injured, but I don't want to take any chances.

I let go of Avery's hand, and rush to Nick's aid. I don't see Bogo anywhere, so I'm assuming he is ashes, once and for all.

"Nick! Nick!" I yell, sliding to the ground beside him.

"I-I'm fine!" he coughs, sitting up into a crouching position.

However, the storm isn't quite finished.

The car explodes a second time, sending pieces of glass and metal straight towards us. I tuck my body into Nick, and watch the shards of metal, glass and aluminum fly past us, sparing us any harm.

I sigh in relief as the car burns, but then Nick's eyes widen as he stares behind me.

"Oh my god, Judy" he says blankly.

"What-" I begin to say, but then I turn my head.

I look into Avery's eyes as they fill with tears, and hear his troubled breaths as he struggles to stay standing. I see the childish innocence in his heart beginning to spill onto the concrete of the road with a never-ending scream of horror, and my mind goes completely blank.

Avery, the child I love, falls to the ground, impaled in the stomach by a shard of metal.

 **Please don't kill me! It's not over yet! Or is it? Poor Avery, I loved his character so much, why'd I have to kill him off? Is this the end of Avery? Is this the end of life? Who even knows anymore? Anyways, thanks for reading, and please leave your thoughts in the reviews! (I'm prepared for flaming reviews regarding Avery, so have at it!) Until next time!**

 **:(**


	17. A Soul Above The Clouds

**Ny'Kle- We shall see, won't we?**

 **Avian- Ha, thanks, glad you're enjoying! (And can't promise anything ;))**

 **Eya145- Thanks! :) And yeah, poor Avery :(**

 **Mayun- As Bogo says, there is a bigger picture...**

 **Roxy- Child deaths will do that to you...**

 **CipherFiveZero- Only time will tell...**

 **Roysourboy- Thanks, and will do! (And you have good intuition ;D)**

 **Astorathgrim- Thank you! (Please refrain from killing me! Remember...it's not over til it's over...right? Or is it? Or is it not?)**

 **TupilTuna- Thanks, glad you think it's one of the best! Here's a box of tissues!**

 **SparkleyUnihorse- ;0 There's still more story left, isn't there?**

 **Zootopian Fulf- He _must_ be, right?**

 **Space Sloth- Very true.**

 **Guest- I know :(**

 **Zootopians- Guess we will find out...**

 **lionwolfhybrid- Indeed! ;D**

 **1-800fangirl- When I saw your reviews, I braced myself, lol. All I'm gonna say is, keep reading...just keep reading...(even though it's really sad).**

 **Pink Guy- I don't know :'(**

 **So this is it. The final stretch. Chapter 17...**

 **Buckle your seat-belts, folks, because this isn't about to get any less intense.**

 **Without further ado, here is the second to last chapter of _Tales of Turmoil..._**

 **Nick POV**

 _If I wasn't dreaming before, I definitely am now. Not dreaming, having a nightmare. That's right, none of this is real. This is simply a hallucination, a trick of the mind._

Regardless of my thoughts, I rush over to Avery, completely ignoring the impending threat that may still be lingering. I can only hope that the grenade got rid of Bogo.

"Avery! Avery!" I choke, sliding down beside him, my eyes already beginning to water.

He simply pulls the metal shard out of his abdomen, causing blood to leak out, and soak through his shirt visibly. By the looks, I know it's very bad.

"The boat.." he chokes, pointing to one of the boats, "I found the key for it while...we were in there" _._

"Okay buddy, don't you worry, we're going to get to Jickery Island" I tell him through my tears.

Judy isn't even speaking, only staring in sheer horror, tears also in her eyes.

I pick up Avery in my arms, and begin running down the pier with Judy right behind us, pushing the grocery cart along in a hurry. I'm trying not to think about anything other than getting out of here, because if I think too much about Avery's current predicament, I won't be able to keep going.

I leap onto the boat, careful not to drop my precious cargo, and regain my balance.

"Quick, Judy!" I yell to her.

She rolls the grocery cart off of the dock and onto the boat, spilling the food all over the floor of the yacht, but I have no concern for that at this moment in time. I lay Avery on one of the sofas carefully, biting my lip to keep me from sobbing at the sight.

"Avery!" I say, but his eyes will barely open, "Avery! I need you to tell me where you saw the keys!"

He holds out his hand, and drops the keys into mine.

I run over to drivers seat and plug the key into the ignition as Judy struggles to keep Avery conscious, my mind rushing as my shaky, feeble finger struggle to start the engine.

I hear a scream of rage in the distance, and know Bogo is still alive. I finally get the boat engine to start, and I cut the line attaching us to the dock.

"Go!" Judy says loudly, and I press on the gas, struggling to see through my blurry eyes. My throat burns with a true sadness I will never forget as I lock the boat speed at fifteen miles per hour in the direction of "Jickery Island".

The second that I put the boat in drive, I run back to Avery with haste. I watch as Judy tends to his severe wound, trying her best to stop the excessive bleeding.

"It hurts..." he whimpers, tears falling down his face as well, and understandably so.

"Don't worry, Pinecone" I say, on the verge of breaking, "You're gonna be fine".

His breathing is beginning to sound hoarse, and his breaths come quick.

"It's not working, Nick!" Judy screams in a traumatic tone, sounding utterly in fear of what is to come.

"What do you mean?" Avery squeaks out in a confused tone, wincing.

"Don't worry about it" I tell him, grabbing his hand tight, "Don't even worry, Avery".

He seems to try and muster a smile, but he gasps and reaches for his stomach once more, as I cringe, agonized by the sight.

 _This is all my fault! Why did I have to throw that stupid grenade?!_

"Am I...gonna...die?" he chokes out with great difficulty.

My heart sinks even lower, but I manage to reply.

"Don't worry, Avery. We're all gonna be okay. We're gonna live on Jickery Island, and we're-"

"You don't need to lie to me, Nick" he interrupts, knowing his inevitable fate.

"I told you I'd never let anything happen to you" I remind him with sorrow that I can't hide.

"So did I" Judy says, holding her feelings in as well, not wanting to cause the child to panic.

Avery manages to smile a little bit as blood begins dripping down his lips, and I feel sickened at the sight.

"You guys _did_ take care of me" he tells Judy and I, still retaining his bright attitude that truly seems to define who he is.

"You're dying, Avery" Judy chokes out, "I'm sorry, but I failed at taking care of you. I admit it, I failed!".

"It's my fault Ju-"

"No, Nick. It's my fault" Judy interrupts me, "You were only trying to save us. I left him behind...I could have saved him" she drifts off.

Avery sighs, and rests his head on the pillow behind him.

"Don't feel...bad" he speaks, looking very close to passing, "You guys love me, and I won't forget that. I mean, look-" he coughs brutally, spilling more blood onto his shirt as Judy and I struggle to hold back the tears.

"Look on the bright side. 'Least I didn't get eaten or something" he jokes, with a weak laugh.

"Please, Avery...please..." Judy says, beginning to truly cry.

"Don't cry" Avery tells her, now barely audible, "Please".

"We love you, Pinecone" I say to him gently, as I watch him stare up into the clouds. I grip his hand tightly, and he begins to look more and more serine. The smile on his face begins to turn into a look of astonishment, and his breathing begins to slow.

I know what's coming, but I just can't come to accept it. The air is silent around us for a while as we truly hold onto the final moments with Avery, knowing we will remember this moment forever.

The light in his eyes begin to fade as the sunlight reflects off of his blue, dreamy eyes, and his expression becomes completely vacant. His breathing comes to a crawl, and then ceases, and my heart nearly splits in two. I am being completely literal when I say that if I didn't have Judy, my heart would be split in thousands of pieces. She's the only thing holding me together now.

I try to say something, anything, but I can't speak. Judy collapses into my arms, bawling now. The only thing I can think to do is reach over to close the child's eyes gently with my fingertips, knowing that he is finally at peace; safe from this unforgiving world that spares no one, not even the beautiful soul of Avery.

Much like Judy with her parents, I can't comprehend the loss of the child before us. Avery, he just seemed so...unafraid, so untouchable. Avery can't be dead, he just _can't_ be.

But then, I glance once again at his body, and feel even more mental torture than before.

 _He's gone._

 **Bogo POV**

 _Those idiots! All they had to do was listen to me, and everything would have turned out fine!_

I shake the pile of concrete, pavement and metal off of me, and finally stand up. I immediately glance over at the water, noticing their boat moving further and further away.

 _So they think that they can just run forever, huh?_

 _Well, technically they can._

 _Not from me. I have a job._

If I'm going to catch up with these nimrods again, I'm going to need to find a key to a boat or something.

 _They'll see you coming._

 _Right, thanks for the warning, voice in my head._

"Hmm..." I say aloud, flipping through the possibilities in my head.

 _Well, there is one way..._

 **Judy POV**

I cry harder than I think I've ever cried before into Nick's arms, unable to take the loss of Avery as just "a part of this new life". If this world is this unforgiving...well, then screw the world. Avery _was_ my son, and everything I could want in a child.

I look up from Nick's trembling body and into his eyes.

"Nick, this isn't your fault" I tell him again genuinely.

There's a moment of silence as he stares at Avery's motionless body with teary eyes, not speaking a word. His hand tightens in mine, and he very simply seems traumatized.

"You lost your parents, and now this..." Nick tells me softly, looking back at me, "How...how do you manage to keep going?"

I have to be honest with him.

"You and Avery, you guys.." I say through watery eyes, "You guys kept me going".

"I just can't believe he's gone" Nick says, closing his eyes, and pulling me back into a warm hug; not just a normal hug, but a hug of true mourning, a hug one can only have with someone that they truly are connected to.

"You're the one thing I have left, Nick" I tell him.

I feel his grip tighten around me, and he releases me from the hug.

I begin to turn my head to look at Avery again, but Nick turns me back the other way.

"No, no, no, Carrots, that's not gonna do us any good" he says, knowing the sight of Avery's corpse would cause me to start weeping again.

As the boat rides the waves gracefully, and the ringing from the explosion begins to fade from my hearing, I simply stare off into the sky, not dare thinking too much. It hurts endlessly to know that Avery is gone, but I'm beginning to realize what should have been obvious.

 _He was nothing but a burden. He was an extra responsibility, and he's finally safe now..._

 _Who are you trying to kid, Judy? You love him, and you miss him. You'll always miss him._

My thoughts are interrupted by Nick, giving me a gentle kiss on the forehead, which is quite literally the only thing that could make me feel any better at this point.

I watch Nick as he pulls Avery's phone from his pocket, and goes straight to his camera roll. I know what he's thinking before it even begins, but I don't do anything to stop him.

He holds the phone out and pressed play on one of the videos, and I take a deep breath.

The video begins with picture of Nick and I, sometimes kissing, sometimes hugging. There's even pictures of Nick and I doing nothing but staring into each others eyes, which makes me feel a warmth inside. I manage to hold myself together until the video comes to a close with thematic music, and the caption reads:

 _NickXJudy forever! Love you guys!_

Then, the slideshow flips to one final picture; the picture Nick took of us in the car on the way to Califurnia. Avery made sure to squeeze himself in the middle of us, obviously wanting to be included. The light in his eyes, now gone, gleams of youth and innocence, and his smile seems to light up the entire car. The way he looks at the camera is a look of pure joy, as if he was happier to be with us than his own family. We were _truly_ a family.

The music comes to a close, and I simply bite my lip, not wanting to break again.

"Sorry if that made it worse...which I'm sure it did, but...Avery..."

"He'd want us to move on" I finish his sentence.

Nick holds his arm around me, holding me tight, making it clear that I am all he has left; I'm his world.

"Yeah" he says, a tear falling off his face, and into the water beside the boat.

He chuckles briefly.

"Too bad this isn't one of those cheesy movies where a teardrop can bring someone back to life" he says half-heartedly with a sniff.

I watch as Nick places a white sheet over Avery's body, not staring at the body directly. We're getting closer to the island now; I'd say we're sixty percent there.

"We're getting there" I inform Nick, eyeing the water ahead of us.

"Well" Nick says, standing beside me again, "Might as well?"

He begins unwrapping his injured hand, and I watch with curiosity. Upon removing the bandage, I cringe at the grotesque sight.

"Well, that's...um..." he begins.

His hand is burned badly, and the ends of two of his fingers have been roasted clean off. I can't believe my eyes as Nick touches his injured fingers softly.

"I...I can't feel anything" he says downheartedly.

"If we had the first aid kit, there could be-"

"No, Fluff, it's okay" he speaks, beginning to wrap it again, "I don't think there's much in there that could help...this".

Eventually, I have to help him finish wrapping the bandage.

"So, what about your leg? Is it doing okay?" he asks.

I nod as I glance down as my still sore leg.

"It's doing better. It's remarkable I haven't broken a bone yet" I reply.

He nods, and leans in towards me again; a gesture I accept with open arms.

It's cliché, obviously, but I guess you could say all the troubles, conflicts, sadness, fear and negativity in my world disappears when Nick's lips meet with mine. For a few seconds, I forget about Avery, I forget about Kade, I forget about my parents, and everything else. After being through all of this, it takes quite a bit to stir my feelings up, but Nick, he never fails.

"Hey, Carrots?" he says once we separate.

"Yeah?"

"No matter what happens, I'll always be glad I signed that paper to be your partner".

I have to giggle a little, wiping the tears from my eyes.

"I know that, dumb fox" I say, hugging myself into his body again.

"No matter what" he repeats.

 **Bogo POV**

"You can't kill them...can you? Should you?" Clovis asks me dumbly.

"Do you think I have a choice, you imbecile?" I yell at Clovis, my "guider" as I call him.

"I suppose not" he answers, floating beside me as we track down the boat in a submarine. They should've known I'd find a way to get to them. Luckily, my stooge was here to find me a quick way to catch up, which happened to come in the form of a secret submarine.

The controls are a bit tough to learn, but nothing is going to stop me from reaching these pests. They've caused themselves enough harm already; why won't they just let me end all of this suffering?

"These idiots are causing more harm than I ever could! Don't they get it?!" I yell in anger.

"Well, technically they are uninformed" Clovis tells me.

"I don't care! They haven't even given me a chance to explain myself! Not once!" I express frustratingly, "They're...so...ignorant!"

"Want me to go check up on them, make sure they aren't trying anything even _more_ stupid?" Clevis asks me.

"Sure, whatever, go ahead!" I say.

Clovis disappears in a flash of light into nothingness.

 _If only they knew._

 **Nick POV**

After slowing the boat down, the front hits land with a gentle "bump".

I ignore the true reality of the situation, and lift Avery's body into my arms, and jump off the boat onto shore, with Judy behind me.

"We'll worry about the food after we get Avery...buried" she says hesitantly.

"Good idea".

I watch Judy tie the boat line to one of the rocks nearby, and proceed to observe the island.

Sand engulfs my surroundings, looking much like a normal beach. The sand is quite hot under my feet, and the wind blows gently against me. The trees stand tall, providing a good amount of shade, and also look to contain some type of exotic fruit; perhaps coconuts or something.

Judy finishes tying the boat, and walks up beside me with a nod.

"Let's do this" she says, not needing to shed anymore tears.

We take a while to dig a hole in the shade, far enough from the tide to not be interrupted by waves of water. Using our hands as shovels isn't the easiest method of scooping, but its all we have. With each scoop, I begin to realize what is currently taking place more and more.

 _He's dead_ , my mind echoes, but it just won't register yet.

As we hit the bottom of the hole, I know what I have to do next. I lift Avery's body carefully, and as I place it into the deep hole in the sand, and the memories flood through my mind.

All of Avery's jokes, his love for food, his love for _us_ , his clever ideas, his childish demeanor; I'll miss it all more than I can currently comprehend. However, there is still one question that remains unanswered:

 _How did he talk to that infected that night?_

I guess we'll never know...

His back finally touches the sandy dirt at the bottom of the hole, and Judy and I hold his hand one last time.

"Rest peacefully, Pinecone" I whisper.

I'm reluctant to let go, but I eventually do, and I begin tossing sand back into the hole, not daring to look at the child as I do so. Judy begins searching the treeline for flowers and such to decorate his "grave", which I'm sure he wouldn't mind.

"Remember what he would want, Judy" I remind her as she places flowers on his grave with a distraught expression.

"He'd want us to keep going" she tells me.

"Yes" I reply, "Yes he would".

The grave is finally finished, and it doesn't look too shabby, being completely blunt. Judy and I hug over his grave one last time before walking back over to the boat.

"We do have plenty of food, so we'll be good on that for a few weeks if we...y'know, ration it well" Judy tells me.

"Yeah" I say with a sigh, "I mean we've been through hoards of the undead, a weirdo buffalo that wants us dead for no apparent reason, we survived that thing in the alley, we've survived..."

"Mr. Big" Judy adds.

"Right! And remember when you saved my life that night from that jaguar?"

"Yeah" she says with a small smile.

"You can trust me when I say this, Fluff. We aren't going to die from starvation or somethin' silly like that. We're the best two cop...the best two partners the world has ever seen" I tell her, putting my fingers under her chin, and lifting her eyes to meet mine.

Her eyes widen however, and I look in her line of sight.

"Here we go again" we both mutter at the same time.

An unidentifiable creature begins crawling from the water, and I gasp.

 _What is that?_

From what I can observe, it appears to be an octopus of some sort, _deeply_ affected by the disease. The animal has sprouted legs of some sort, along with sharp, intimidating teeth in it's jaws.

I reach for my pistol, but realize that it must have fallen out of my pocket back at the pier.

"Judy, get ready to run" I whisper, still looking straight at the creature in front of us, but then I hear another sound behind me, and spot a large crab, also mutated by the infection. In terms of size, the crab seems to have grown ten times it's normal size, now large enough to squeeze Judy and I to death with ease using its pinchers.

 _Well, I can't say I expected this._

The crab lunges for Judy, but I leap in front of her, feeling the full force of the crab's pincher on my leg, which it snaps with ease.

I scream in agony, but I can't let the pain stop me.

Judy jumps on top of the crab, and tases it until it falls to the ground, no longer moving.

The octopus-like creature refusing to go down using this method, and slaps Judy to the ground as I lie on the ground, unable to get up.

"Judy, no!" I yell with all my power, but there's nothing I can do.

However, someone else obviously has other plans.

I hear the whirl of a bullet, and the octopus falls off of Judy, brains scattered in the warm pacific sand.

I look up, ready to thank our savior, but groan at the sight.

 _You cannot be serious._

A submarine sits marooned beside our boat, having recently arrived, and Bogo stands beside it. He holds a pistol, glaring at us in victory.

"Ah, the beach! Who doesn't love a sunny day at the beach!?" Bogo yells in our direction as he begins stomping towards us.

"Bogo, you've already put us through enough! Can't you just leave us alone and let us _try_ to survive?" I ask him loudly, clutching my leg.

"I just saved your life, Wilde!" he screams.

Judy crawls over beside me, bleeding a bit on her arm, but mostly unharmed, and I hold her hand, knowing that the time for running is over.

"I'm sure it's some part of your scheme!" Judy yells in response as I grit my teeth in pain, knowing my leg is broken.

"You've guessed correctly, Hopps. The time for running is over".

At this point, the time for trying is also over, and even as Bogo approaches sinisterly, I don't dare attempt to escape.

I hold Judy close, prepared for the end. I look up at the sky one last time; at the clouds, the same clouds Avery watched as he passed. I feel the sand of Jickery Island underneath me, and I release a deep breath.

 _This is it._

 **Whew! Intense! And depressing too, right? This is all adding up to be quite a finale...**

 **Chapter 18, the final chapter of _Tales of Turmoil_ will be uploaded this Friday night, barring any unforeseen circumstances. Want to thank everyone again for the continued support, and trust me, I've had a lot of fun writing this. But now, the end us here. **

**Until next time...**

 **(PS, No one kill me over Avery pls).**


	18. A Tale's End

**Here we are! The final chapter of _Tales of Turmoil!_ It's been a fun ride, but it all ends now...**

 **Judy POV**

I've heard some say the feeling before dying is one of bliss and serenity, and that worldly things no longer matter as they begin to lose consciousness.

The feeling right now is quite different, however. I haven't come to terms with death, and it just doesn't feel right. I feel like I am meant for so much more in life than another grave in the dirt; or in this case, just another corpse.

"Well! Get on with it!" Nick yells to him, quivering in pain, his leg looking quite deformed.

Bogo simply laughs, his eyes glowing a deeper red with each inhale and exhale, and I stare in confusion.

"Wouldn't you like me to explain first?" he asks us.

Oh, so there _is_ something to explain.

"Um...yes" I mutter, realizing life isn't quite over.

Bogo stands right in front of us with a stern expression.

"Well, I bet you're wondering why everyone suddenly went off the edge, huh?" he asks, to which we nod impatiently.

He takes a deep breath.

"Evolution. That's what's happening here" he informs us, and my mind begins racing.

 _What? What does that mean? Is he in the right mind?_

"Wait, what?" Nick asks him weakly.

"Well, it started with a lab experiment in Zootopia. The "Super Animal" project, as they called it. Well, it didn't work as expected on their first subject, and, well...all of the doctors were killed that day. The beginning stages of the serum cause extreme aggression for reasons unknown. Eventually we neutralized the animal, but after a while, we realized that the serum spreads through the air, and by that point we were much too late" he begins.

I glance over at Nick, and his mouth is open wide, not knowing what to think. Our eyes meet briefly in a blink of confusion, but then we shift back to Bogo as he speaks.

"But little did we know that the serum caused an evolution of sorts. After you get past the first stage, life is infinitely better. It allows us to invent things like this now!" he speaks, pressing a button on his watch-device.

Clovis appears beside him suddenly, and I can't comprehend the sudden unearthly situation.

"Yes, master?" he asks, and I realize that he is simply a projection of sorts.

"Nothing; just wanted to demonstrate our new technology" he tells him, and then presses the button once more, and Clovis disappears into the air.

"So _that's_ how you found us" Nick states.

"Of course" he begins, "And this is just the beginning! This is evolution in its truest form!" he declares.

A question crosses my mind.

"But why us?" I ask, finally ready to receive an answer.

He stares us dead in the eyes.

"Because you two are immune to it all, obviously!" he exclaims.

 _Then why won't he just kill us and be done with this?_

"Then just kill us! Don't make us wait!" Nick tells him, still in some amount of pain.

"What, do you think I'm actually _that_ evil? I have a solution to all of this, and your friend...Avery? Him dying was a good thing, not a bad thing".

I want to tell him to stop talking, still unable to take the fact that Avery is gone, but I manage to keep my mouth shut.

"How?" Nick asks him, completely lost.

Bogo rolls his eyes, irritated that he has to explain every detail. I don't know why though. I mean, was he just expecting us to know everything?

"If he's dead, I can revive him as..."

I know what he's about to speak a moment before the words slip from his mouth.

"I can revive him as one of _us._ He may have been immune while he was alive, but he's dead now _"._

I look at him in a disgusted manner.

"No!" I protest instinctively, without thinking it through.

 _Wouldn't you like to have Avery back?_

"Judy" Nick whispers, looking deep into my eyes, the pain of the past lurking in his pupils, "Trust me".

I don't know what he's talking about, to be blunt. However, I've never experienced any wrong from trusting in him, and we're out of options at this point anyway.

"Okay" he tells Bogo, and I nearly cringe.

I can't see Avery as one of those creatures; I just _can't_.

"So that's what this is about? You just want to kill us so you can make us one of you?" I ask him, exasperated.

"Hopps, you have no idea what all of animal-kind is capable of when united as one now. _No idea"_ he repeats, attempting to get the point across to me.

I slowly nod, glancing up at the sky in apprehension.

 _I'm going to become one of them._

Bogo begins digging up Avery's corpse aggressively, sending sand whirling into the air in an angry flurry.

This could turn out well, or it could turn out like most has the past week. There's no telling at this point...

The buffalo hoists Avery's corpse back onto the sand, and I gasp at the sight. Although I laid eyes and hands on it just minutes ago, I still can't accept the sight before me.

"Here we go!" Bogo yells, and I stare at Nick in fear. I can tell this is all part of his plan, however, and my eyes fill up with tears. The fox beside me gently strokes the fur on my face with a dreamy expression as Bogo bites down on Avery's neck, and immediately the sound of shrieking fills the air.

The screams of Avery.

Surprisingly, he doesn't writhe in pain, but simply gasps for air, his eyes transforming to a blood red.

"Why's he not..." I begin, but then I notice the confused look on Bogo's face as well.

"What happened?" the child asks, his eyes opening gingerly. He leaps to his feet, looking completely unharmed, much to our disbelief.

I can't speak at the sight of my revived preciousness, and my face feels quite numb. My throat dries up, and I hold my mouth with my hand at the sight.

The blood still stains Avery's shirt, but seems to have come to a halt. His wound appears to have completely closed up, his body no longer pierced, null, or dead.

"Avery?" Nick asks.

"Yeah? Something up?" he asks nonchalantly.

"You kinda died, kid" Nick reminds him as the child walks closer.

Avery stops in his tracks for a moments, and his once blue eyes widen in utter shock as he observes his hands in awe.

"You're right! I'm back! How?" he asks, turning to Bogo.

"I've never seen this! You skipped straight to the last phase!" Bogo exclaims with his mouth slightly agape.

"I feel so...floaty!" Avery exclaims, glancing around the island in disbelief.

Bogo laughs at the newborn, and eyes Nick and I.

"Now, it's time to evolve, you two!"

I don't know how to feel about the situation, seeing Avery alive and well, but I do know one thing. As I watch Nick rip the device from my pocket and aim it at the animal in front of us, I feel a surge of pain; a dose of the unknown. I know there's a reason Nick chooses a hopeless getaway, knowing fully well the path of misery leads nowhere.

But perhaps it is the memories formed on the paths that define us, and sometimes power can corrupt who we are.

Nick, as I would expect, is thinking this as well.

We will fight to stay as who we are, and not power-hungry zombies.

The taser spits out rings of electricity it appears, at least through my observations, and lands on the face of Bogo.

The buffalo emits screams of pain as I realize that although nearly immune to outside wounds, electricity appears to be just as effective on Bogo as it was in his former life.

We seize the opportunity as Bogo reels in pain, dropping to the sand, twitching, the taser still injecting him with large amounts of electricity.

"Why'd you do that? He saved me!" Avery asks, but I simply grab his hand as we begin

sprinting for the boat.

I try to help Nick with getting to his feet, but he simply jumps on one foot, avoiding any contact with the sand with his broken leg.

I don't take a second to look back, knowing there is no time to waste.

Knowing that if Bogo catches us again, it won't just be the transformation of Nick and I that he wants, but something perhaps more sinister.

 **Nick POV**

There's no way I will _ever_ become one of them.

I run as quickly as I can on one leg, looking more like a rabbit than a fox. Luckily, I seem to be decently productive with my movement speed; my balance fairly stable.

I'm still struggling to explain how I feel about Avery; he is back, but is he the same hedgehog that we used to know? My emotions are crossed, as is my brain as we leap into the boat, I collapsing on the deck, clutching my leg which in now throbbing violently.

Judy rips the rope off of our anchor; a simple rock.

 _There's no way this is going to work._

I can hear Bogo screeching something, but I ignore him, biting my nails as our boat slowly floats backwards into the gentle waves.

I regain my composure, standing on my one unharmed leg, taking the wheel and then backing the boat up as quickly as possible.

 _Where are you going to run?_

 _It's worked for us so far._

The engine kicks into higher gear as we watch Bogo attempt to stand, his red eyes gleaming with fury.

Something deep down in me forces me to wonder if this is the right thing after all. We have Avery back, or what's left of him. I have Judy, we have the food...

In a world like this, why should we stop running?

I still don't understand how Avery was able to retain his image, but he seems to be the same person as before as he watches me steer the wheel.

His eyes are red, but he lacks the skin growths that the others do. And the rage, it appears to be nonexistent.

Avery, at least I think, is still Avery.

"Nick, why do I feel different?" he asks me calmly as we sail across the sea, further and further away from our previous predicament.

I sigh, and look over at him with seriousness, Judy staring out at the graceful ocean.

"Avery, you'll...you'll always be different. You always _have_ been" I try to convince him, avoiding the obvious subject at hand.

"You _know_ what I mean" he convicts me, "Why am I so strong? And why do I feel...why do I feel so light?"

 _You have to tell him._

"Avery, it's how we brought you back to life" I explain, "You've...you've..."

"You're infected, Avery" Judy interrupts me, "But not completely. You don't seem violent...or psychotic...do you feel any different on the inside?"

He shakes his head, looking truly dazed at the words spoken by Judy.

It hurts to see such confusion and turmoil in the core of a child's heart, but perhaps facing facts is all he has left to do.

"Is it a bad thing?" he asks me calmly, and I smile, pulling the child into my arms.

 _He is still my kid._

"Not at all, kid" I whisper into his ear, neglecting the monster most would say he has become.

Judy joins in, wrapping her arms around the child we once lost, deep in the depths of death; in the abyss of darkness.

The moment is all too surreal, and the leg in my pain, although incredible in intensity, ceases to cross my mind during a powerful moment like this.

All of the things we've been through; all the pain, all the dreaminess, all the carnage, all the bloodshed, all the emotions and all the feelings have led to this moment.

And the sad thing? We've accomplished nothing.

Or have we?

I gaze down at my hand, still wrapped, and my leg, still crippled. I look deep into my mind; solidified, yet broken. The sunlight from the risen sun radiates noticeably, symbolizing an unlikely future.

There are no roses, flowers and rainbows ahead of us, obviously.

The world will not turn the same as it used to, and relationships will be lost in the unforgiving dust. There is still a bright spot, however, that outshines all of the darkness around it.

I have Judy, and I have Avery.

Like a wanderer stumbling through the night, his flashlight in hand, only a bit can be lit ahead of us. The rest of the world is unknown, besides the fact that it will probably cause the end of us.

All there's left to do now if follow the small bit of light we currently hold; the rest will always be unknown.

A few more minutes pass as we stare up at the sky together, the distant screams of Bogo filling the air around us. Not a word is spoken between us as we approach the shore of Califurnia.

I can hear the waves around us gently tapping the sides of the boat, and I release Avery.

I hobble over to the steering wheel as Judy examines the absence of a wound on Avery, knowing I must slow down the boat.

"Nick, there's not even a scar!" Judy informs me loudly in astonishment.

"That's...crazy!" I say back as the boat begins to slow, the image of Avery's corpse still flashing in my mind.

I glance over at Avery once again, noticing the absence of his former scar. The boat continues to slow, and I study the red in his eyes. Quite simple, the shade mimics the color of blood. A darker red, but not too dark. Perhaps crimson would be the best way to describe it.

Deep in his eyes, I do not see the monster I've seen in so many others, but simply a confused, innocent child, gazing at Judy with a love that a child has for a parent.

The entire situation could be described as something beautiful, although the atmosphere around us masks it behind one of uncertainty.

The front of the boat scrapes onto the beach sand, and Judy walks over to me.

"Need some help?" she asks me nicely, offering her hand to help me walk.

I smile at the rabbit that has helped me through much; the one who will always be there for me, and nod.

"Guess I do, Carrots".

She assists me as we walk to the back of the boat, and I wince with each step. I try my best to forget Bogo and his little speech, trying my best to think as simply and as animal-like as possible.

 _We're the only ones left._

Evolution? Sounds like a trick if I've ever heard one.

 _But he had advanced technology._

 _I don't have time to think about this..._

Judy helps me onto a nearby bench, and I clench my jaw, causing Judy to look concerned.

"You don't think you sliced an artery or something?" she asks me, to which I shake my head.

"I'm all good...it's not a horrible break. It'll heal" I mutter as Avery approaches me.

I don't know what to think of the child's intentions as he eyes me, but he simply comes to a stop beside me, staring at me with his crimson eyes, still full of youth.

"You're hurt" he whispers, only now noticing.

I nod.

"Yeah, but I'll be fine" I persuade him in a friendly tone as Judy wanders back over to the boat, beginning to fill the grocery cart back up with the food that fell onto the deck.

"I didn't do that, right?" he asks me, his memory plainly fuzzy.

"No, no, of course not. It was some _crazy_ crab who got ahold of me" I explain, to which he giggles, causing me to question whether he actually believes me or not.

I place my arms on his shoulders, beginning to accept that perhaps the child I love actually _is_ back from the dead.

"Avery, can you promise me one thing?" I ask him calmly, staring at his cheery expression.

"If it involves never eating pies again, it's a no" he replies, and I roll my eyes.

"Promise me" I begin, "That you don't feel _anything_ different right now. Promise me that you still feel like the same person, and that you don't feel like tearing someone apart. Or ever will. Promise me" I tell him firmly.

He nods slowly at first, but then speeds up.

"I don't, Nick. I feel like myself except...except a little bit...like I just drank a _ton_ of caffeine" he admits, grinning.

 _Yep, he's himself._

Judy walks back over to us a few moments later, exhausted from gathering the food and placing all of it into the cart.

"Judy!" I say, feeling a sudden surge of appreciation, and I pull her into a tight hug as well.

"Nick!" she says, mimicking my tone of voice.

I honestly don't care though.

We all made it out alive...well, technically, but we still have the world left to face.

But why should I care with friends like these?

I lean out a bit, just enough to readjust my face in front of hers, and I stare into the violet eyes that have seen so much; been on the same adventures as me, and jumped the same hurdles I've stumbled over myself.

I press my lips against hers and into a blend of warmth; a feeling quite unfamiliar to me in this dark world.

I feel all the care in my being fade away as our feelings intertwine completely, and my heart quickens in pace.

The familiar feeling of floating rules over my senses, enveloping my mind with a vibe of absolute love.

 _Love, that's what it is._

We separate, and I stare at her face, the one I've come to know so well.

The one who never judged me, the one who believed in me when no one else did, and the one who always loved me.

"Shh!" I say as she begins to speak, knowing what she is about to speak.

"I love you more, Judy" I say with a chuckle before she can even utter a word, and she simply beams even bigger.

"We'll make it through this" she tells me with certainty, "Even if it's hopeless...I guess you could say the adventures and memories...the good ones at least...it'll be worth it...".

"That would'a been nice to have for the slideshow" Avery states dully, and we all have a good laugh.

I smile as I lean on Judy in order to simply walk, and we begin walking in the opposite direction of the beach, heading wherever life takes us.

I glance at Avery pushing the grocery cart with ease, humming to the tune of one of his favorite songs.

"Hey, Avery!" I say to him as he walks with a bounce.

"Yeah?" he asks enthusiastically.

"Here ya' go kid. Go crazy" I say, grabbing an ice cream carton out of the cart and handing it to him.

Whether the ice cream is melted or not, he doesn't know, and he doesn't care.

He smiles hugely as he places the carton in the baby seat of the grocery cart, eating huge scoops as we walk, and I hold Judy a bit closer as she assists me with walking.

Sometimes, the best tales come from the worst of situations, and sometimes the strongest of love spawns from the most tumultuous of lives. Judy and I truly found love in the most hopeless of places, and found a child worth dying for in a world that most would label as hell.

I still have many questions about this life that envelops me; Why could Avery speak to infected animals? Why did he transform so gracefully? Why didn't Bogo get someone else to kill him? The lab we were taken prisoner by could have _easily_ taken our lives.

I stare up the at the hilltops surrounding us, the sunlight reflecting off of the grass blades. I see a bird fly through the air; a definite sign that we aren't the only ones out here.

However, as the bird passes, I think that for a second, I see a flurry of birds chasing it, but shake my head and see them no longer. I stop limping as I stare at the clouds where the birds once were, and Judy helps me keep my balance, gazing at me in curiosity.

"Something wrong?" she asks me.

I take a deep breath as I neglect the not-so-distant memory.

 _Are we doing the right thing? Is this the right direction? Should we have just chosen to evolve?_

 _What is it to evolve if I lose myself doing it?_

I smile weakly at her, and gesture forwards into the unknown.

"No, let's go".

I take one final look at Jickery Island, and smile to myself as I resume limping.

For some reason, I feel a ping, a twitch of madness within me as I turn back around, but by this point I have learned that everything cannot be questioned.

I brush it off, and let out a blissful sigh.

 _Here's to our next adventure..._

 **Sorry it took so long! Life has been awfully busy lately, and I just didn't have much time. Yes, this is a much shorter final chapter, but I think it fits the story a lot more. Let me know if there's anything you need explained, and yes, there will eventually be a sequel! I've had a lot of fun writing this story, and I hope everyone enjoyed it! Please leave your thoughts on the final chapter in the reviews. Until next time!**


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